Sunshine and Sea Air
by dS-Tiff
Summary: Set a year after that dreadful finale, the team are back together, but they're still carrying a few demons. An afternoon at the beach seemed like a harmless way to forget their troubles, but nothing ever goes smoothly for Team Scorpion.
1. Chapter 1 - To The Beach!

_**Wow, this has been a tough weekend for all of us. I'm still working on my fix-it fic - 'Sly Down' - and I will finish it as soon as I can, it's just hard to write about that subject at the moment. Instead I thought I'd jump a year into the future to happier times. This is a standalone story, but could be considered a sequel to Sly Down, even though the original isn't finished yet (which sounds weird, but it all makes sense, I promise!) No idea how**_ _ **many chapters this one will be, but I'm going to enjoy writing it. I hope you all enjoy reading it too. All comments welcome, thank you kindly!**_

 **SUNSHINE AND SEA AIR**

"What's with Paige today?"

Toby looked up from the two text books he was reading and briefly watched as Paige ascended the stairs to the loft. He'd noticed she had been unusually quiet since he and Happy had arrived at the garage that morning. He knew she was busy with government paperwork after the case they'd worked yesterday - a case, in typical Scorpion style, which had resulted in some collateral damage to government property albeit while saving hundreds of lives in the process. Toby knew that wasn't the reason for Paige's mood today, though.

"It's the first anniversary of... y'know... today," Toby reminded Cabe.

"Oh," Cabe responded. "Y'mean the day she broke up with Walt."

Toby nodded.

"But that means it's the eleven month anniversary of the day they got back together," Cabe pointed out.

"True," agreed Toby. "But Paige is still working through the fallout from that day. She's in a much better place than she was a year ago, don't get me wrong, but today her psyche is gonna be a bitch by constantly reminding her of it all."

"I don't think Walt'll be bothered by the date," said Cabe.

"I doubt One Ninety Seven has given it a second thought," agreed Toby. "He's worked through his issues in his own way. Don't tell him I said so, but I'm kinda impressed."

"Then we should all be here for Paige today," said Cabe. "Let's do something, as a family, I mean. Allie and I were gonna catch a movie later, but we can do that another day."

"Great idea!" Toby replied, closing his books and leaping to his feet. "Let's hit the beach."

"Do y'think Happy is feeling up to joining us?" Cabe asked.

"Morning sickness has eased a little since last week," replied Toby. "Some sunshine and sea air will do her good."

Toby still couldn't quite believe that his wife was actually pregnant after they'd given up all hope. They were weeks away from finalising the adoption of twin girls and they'd both agreed that the surprise pregnancy wasn't going to stop them bringing the orphaned toddlers into their lives, but there was no doubt their world was going to be turned upside down in the next few months.

"Great!" Cabe grinned. "We missed her yesterday."

"Sure did," agreed Toby. "She would've fixed that cooling fan in half the time it took you and Sly."

"Why are my ears burning?"

Toby looked across the garage as Sylvester wandered back from the kitchen carrying an apple.

"Just talking about yesterday," Toby explained. "And planning a trip to the beach for later today. A picnic, maybe. You in?"

Sylvester's face paled a little. "The beach is covered in contaminants," he said. "And the sand gets in your food."

"Why d'you think they call them sandwiches, pal?" grinned Toby.

Sylvester frowned. "Is this little outing because of… because of what day it is?"

Cabe and Toby exchanged a glance. Of course Sylvester would have remembered the significance of the date - his eidetic memory would never let him forget.

"Yep," Toby replied. "Thought it might be good for us all to get out of here today. Have a little fun."

Sylvester smiled broadly. "Fun sounds like... fun!" He agreed. "I could invite Patty?" he suggested and Toby and Cabe both nodded.

Sylvester had struggled a lot during that horrible month they would all rather forget, but since the team had reunited his relationship with Walter had actually gone from strength to strength. It helped that Florence had taken a research position at Princeton University, two and a half thousand miles away, so she wasn't around as a constant reminder of the reason they'd fallen out in the first place. Sylvester had long since realised that he'd never really been in love with her after all, but the whole experience had opened his eyes - and his heart - to the idea of finding new love with the right person one day and he would always be grateful for her friendship. He was happy now to wait patiently for romance to find him.

Just then Paige came back down the stairs clutching the memory stick she'd been looking for in her hand. She wandered back to her desk without acknowledging Cabe, Toby or Sylvester. Toby frowned and followed her. Paige plugged the memory stick into her laptop and then her face fell as the screen froze. "Crap!" she exclaimed.

"Stupid tech, huh," noted Toby, perching on the corner of her desk. "Can't live with it, can't live without it."

"Something like that," agreed Paige with a dismissive shrug. "Where's Walter?"

"He took Ralph to get supplies for his science fair project, remember?" Toby replied.

"Oh… oh, yeah."

Toby pursed his lips. "I'd ask if you're OK, but I know you're not," he said.

Paige looked up at him. "I know it's dumb," she said with a sigh. "I know everything's back to normal now, but…"

"Hey, I object to the word normal," said Toby with a grin.

Paige cracked a tiny smile. "Everything's back to the way it should be," she corrected herself. "But, I've been dreading this day coming around."

"I know," said Toby. "And it's perfectly normal to be feeling a little reflective today."

"Is it?" Paige's narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Why? Walter and I are closer than we've ever been, we communicate so much better than we ever did before, we trust each other, we're a proper couple and it's wonderful. Why am I still worrying so much about what happened a year ago?"

"Because you can't help but think about what might have happened if we hadn't healed the rift," Toby replied. "About what a terrible, disastrous ending it might have been for you and Walt and for all of us. And a part of you is still worried that it could all happen again."

Paige sighed. "I guess," she agreed.

"No guessing involved," insisted Toby. "Genius shrink at work."

Paige smiled. "As much as I enjoy your company, Toby, I never expected I'd still be in therapy after all this time."

"Are you saying you want to end our weekly sessions?" Toby asked, clutching at his chest with both hands in mock pain. "You, Paige Dineen, are in the unique position of being able to enjoy the pleasure of my undivided attention and Harvard trained skills every Tuesday morning – or sometimes Wednesday if we're busy saving the world on Tuesday."

"You're about to become a father to three children, Toby," Paige reminded him – not that he needed reminding. "My mental health shouldn't be taking up your time."

"Paige, you're my Best Ma'am," smiled Toby. "And I'm good at this therapy game, so your mental health will remain a priority… even when my priorities multiply."

Paige bit hard on her lower lip, Toby had seen enough of her tears over the last twelve months. "Thank you," she said. She knew she was getting better, time – and Walter's love – had healed her, but equally she knew she still had a way to go before all her demons were banished.

"So, Cabe and I were thinking about a picnic this afternoon," said Toby, breezily, all too aware that Paige was struggling to keep her emotions in check. "At the beach. Thought it would do us all good."

"You thought right," agreed Paige, shutting the lid of her laptop with a defiant action. "The government can wait."

"What's in the fridge?" asked Toby. "Last time I looked we were well stocked, but Ralph and his teenage hormone-fuelled appetite is making a dent in my snacking quota."

"Yeah, sorry about that," replied Paige. "I promise you I am feeding him at home."

"Then I guess I'll hit up Kovelsky's for picnic rations," said Toby. "Back in half an hour. Tell Happy where I am – she'll miss me, of course."

"Like a hole in the head."

Toby spun round at the sound of his pregnant wife's voice. "Hey, darlin'," he smiled as he half walked, half skipped over to meet her. "How did you get on with that oil change?" He kissed her on the cheek tenderly, before recoiling as his senses acknowledged the sight of her, not to mention the smell. "Looks like the oil changed itself all over you," he noted. "That's not one of the recommended pregnancy therapies."

"There was a slight hitch," admitted Happy. "I'm just glad Dad was there to give me a hand."

Paige looked up and smiled as Patrick walked in rubbing his oily hands on a rag. "Hey, Patrick," she smiled.

"Scrub up, Quinns," said Toby. "We're off to the beach soon. Family picnic. Doctor's orders."

Patrick nodded and smiled. "Can't argue with the father of my soon-to-be grandchildren," he replied.

The team were getting used to having Patrick around the place again since his release from prison. Paige had noticed Happy seemed, well, happier since his return and she completely understood why. It had been so hard on her to lose him three years ago after they'd only just reconnected and they had a lot of lost time to make up for. Paige wondered what her own father would have been like had he lived longer, if he had lived to see Ralph grow up, to meet Walter and the rest of her family. Maybe if she'd had his stable influence in her life for longer… maybe…

"Paige?"

Paige jumped as Toby's gentle hand on her shoulder snapped her out of her thoughts. He looked at her with raised eyebrows, glancing briefly across to where Happy and Patrick were talking and laughing as they cleaned oil from each other's faces.

Paige forced a smile onto her lips, but Toby saw straight through her.

"Hold that thought," he said gently. "Until Tuesday."

Paige nodded.

Just then the door opened and Ralph ran in with Walter right behind him. "This is gonna be the best science project ever!" he exclaimed excitedly.

Paige smiled at his youthful exuberance. For a minute is was as if he was ten years old again, not fourteen. He had blossomed into a young man over the last year and she knew it was mostly down to having Walter in his life… and Cabe… and the whole team. He had the best family a boy could ever have. She couldn't believe she'd come so close to throwing it all away.

"Ralph exceeded the budget by a small margin," said Walter as he carefully placed the bag of electrical components he'd been carrying down on a chair. "But I believe we can submit this project to the International Science Award committee once it's done. It's all Ralph's work, of course." He leaned over and planted a lingering kiss on Paige's lips.

"Let's get started right now!" said Ralph, running over to his work bench.

"Not now, Ralph," said Paige. "We're going to the beach. All of us."

"It would be inefficient to waste time sitting on the beach today," Walter frowned. "You go, have a good time, Ralph and I will stay here."

Paige sighed. "If that's what you want?" she queried, looking at her son.

Ralph nodded. "I'd really like to make a start on this," he replied.

Without another word Paige walked over to the fridge and opened the door. "You were right, Toby," she said. "Definitely need to go to Kovelsky's."

Walter quickly joined Ralph at the workbench, but before they could even start to unpack their purchases, Toby was standing between them. "Paige wants you to come to the beach," he stated bluntly. "She's feeling a little down today."

Walter's face fell. "She… she is?" he queried. "W-why?"

"Because this time last year was the day you guys… y'know," replied Ralph, sadly. "And even though everything's OK now, she's still a little freaked out. I was kinda hoping she'd forgotten the date."

"Your mom's OK, pal," Toby tried to reassure the young genius. "Just feeling a little blue, that's all. So…" he trailed off and waited for Walter to respond.

"So, we… we should participate in the family picnic," said Walter, much to Toby's relief.

"And that, my friend, is the correct answer," grinned Toby. "Pack up your inflatable flamingos and put on your mankinis, fellow geniuses, we hit the sand in an hour."

Ralph smiled broadly. As much as he loved working on projects with Walter, he loved doing normal things too. The anniversary had brought back so many horrible memories from a year ago for him too and an afternoon at the beach sounded like a great way to forget all of that and celebrate being a family again.

Paige glanced up as Toby ran out of the door on his way to Kovelsky's and smiled as she saw Walter and Ralph had changed their plans. This was going to be a great afternoon.


	2. Chapter 2 - Picnic

_**I don't often write Waige, so I hope you enjoy their little moment here. This chapter does get a little dramatic at the end.**_

 _ **Thank you for reading, all comments welcome.**_

 **CHAPTER 2.**

"You should apply more sunscreen, you're taking care of two people now, remember." Patty stood with one hand on her hip and the other outstretched, holding a yellow bottle.

Happy scowled at her and adjusted her position on the beach chair, before snatching the bottle from Patty.

"The parasol needs moving a little," continued Patty, undeterred by her attitude. "Your left foot is in the sun."

Toby grinned and pointed at Patty as she twisted the multi-coloured parasol around slightly and pushed a little more sand against the base with her foot. "I like you," he said.

"Thank you," beamed Patty. Then she turned back to Happy. "I'll fetch you some more water."

Toby couldn't hide his sniggering as she strode off across the sand towards the ice box.

"Shut up and do my back," snarled Happy, handing him the bottle of sun cream.

"She has a good point you know," noted Toby, opening the sticky flip-top.

Happy sighed. "Don't get me wrong," she said. "I'm grateful that everyone cares so much about the baby, but…"

"They care about you," Toby corrected her and before she realised what was happening he'd dabbed cream on her nose with his forefinger.

Happy glared at him and quickly rubbed it in with her thumb. "I said do my back, dummy. I can reach my own nose."

"I know," replied Toby. "But that was fun!"

Happy sat forward on the chair and slipped the straps of her top down over her shoulders. She held her hair up and Toby began to apply the cream. The slow, methodical way he coated her shoulders and back calmed her. Her husband was good with his hands, that's for sure. Damn good. Happy found her eyes drifting closed as he continued to work...

"Toby!" Paige called out, interrupting Happy's peace. "When you're done with Happy can you do Ralph as well, please?"

"Mom! I just put on sunscreen twenty minutes ago," retorted Ralph indignantly. "I'll put on some more when I've finished this."

Paige looked to Toby for backup, but he just shrugged. "He hasn't been in the water, sunscreen is effective for a good couple hours."

Satisfied that her son wasn't going to get sunburn anytime soon, Paige sat back down in the sand. She faced the sea and tucked her knees up under her chin. She closed her eyes and slowed her breathing to match the rhythm of the waves lapping gently against the shore. She didn't notice Toby walking over to where Walter and Ralph were sitting, a little way away from the rest of the group.

Toby crouched beside the other geniuses. "I know Cabe's snoring is a little loud, but did you really need to be all the way over here?" he asked. "What are you up to anyway?"

"We're just discussing the effects of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide on the pH level of the ocean," Ralph explained with enthusiasm.

"And whether this has any effect on salinity of the water," added Walter, his face lighting up. "There are several studies…"

"I know, I've read them," Toby interrupted him. "Say, Ralph, I think Patty is gonna be unpacking the picnic in a second, she could do with a hand."

"Sure, I'll help," said Ralph. "I'm so hungry."

Walter watched him walk back to join the others with a smile on his face. "Teenagers," he said to Toby. "They're always hungry."

Toby grinned and nodded in agreement. Then his face became more serious. "Listen, Walt," he began. "Paige still seems a little distant, you might wanna do something about that."

Walter looked over at Paige and then back to Toby. "Oh… oh, er… right," he said, anxiously. "Like… like, what… exactly?"

Toby rolled his eyes. "Interact with her!" he exclaimed. "You and Ralphy sitting here talking science is great, but Paige needs to feel included today. She needs reassurance. From you."

Walter's brow furrowed as he tried to process the information. He and Paige had come a long, long way in the last eleven months, but he still struggled at times. "I'll… I'll, um…" he stumbled over his words.

"I assume you were gonna say you'll take her for a walk along the beach?" suggested Toby. "And tell her that's everything's fine and how much she means to you?"

"Yes, yes," agreed Walter, nodding and scrambling to his feet. "That's it, yes." He hurried across the sand to Paige.

"Paige? Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you jump."

Paige smiled as the shock of being dragged from her thoughts quickly wore off. "Hey," she said. She patted the sand beside her. "Sit with me?" she suggested.

"No," replied Walter. At Paige's stunned look, he quickly added, "I mean, I was thinking we could go for a walk. Patty appears to be in control of arrangements here."

Paige's smile broadened. "That would be lovely, thank you, Walter," she said and she held up her hand. Walter grasped it and pulled her up to a standing position, her bare feet sinking into the sand as she regained her balance.

Walter interlocked his fingers with hers and they set off, the gentle waves lapping over their feet as they walked. "So, Toby mentioned…"

"Toby talks too much," Paige interrupted.

"Well, yes, that's true," agreed Walter. "B...but he said today's date was causing… because you remember… you remember… and… and…" he stopped and sighed, frustrated the he couldn't find the words.

Paige stopped and grabbed Walter's other hand, pulling him round to face her. "Walter, it's OK," she said. "I'm just being silly, that's all."

"You're not being silly if… if it's upsetting you," replied Walter, with a look of concern.

Paige sighed and looked down at their toes which were now half buried in the wet sand. "I just wish… I wish it had never happened, that's all."

"Me too," agreed Walter. "And… and we can't change the past... but I… I thought we'd moved beyond all of that?"

Paige suddenly leaned in and kissed him so passionately that Walter had to take a step backwards to steady himself. When she finally broke away she looked coyly at him. "We have," she said.

Walter was even more confused now. "Then… why are you… why…"

Paige smiled. "Because I suppose it changed me, Walter. For the better, obviously, but… but I'm still working through some of my issues from the past and I guess there's still a part of me that's terrified that I might… that _we_ might…"

Walter gently placed his forefinger on her lips to silence her. "Never," he said, earnestly. "Never again will we a…allow anything to come between us, Paige." He pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms tightly around her. "Never," he repeated again, pressing his lips into her hair. "I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered against his chest and then her emotions overwhelmed her. Walter held her close, stroking her hair tenderly until she felt safe again.

From his position on the picnic rug, Toby could see them in the distance and a smile danced at his lips. "Good work, One Ninety Seven," he mumbled to himself.

After a while, Walter and Paige walked back towards the rest of the team – their family – and Paige couldn't help but smile at the sight of Cabe who was fast asleep on a towel, with Allie by his side, her head resting on his chest. She was so happy to see them contented. Since Allie had moved in with Cabe it was as if the couple had been together their whole lives. Allie had assumed an older sister role in the team, filling a void in Paige's life she didn't know she had.

Patty and Ralph had unpacked most of the picnic, with Patty handing Sylvester various items and ordering him to place them in specific places on the rug. Sylvester, of course, complied with her every word. He could hold his own in the fiercest of debates as Alderman of West Altadenia, but his knees still buckled when Patty bossed him around.

As Paige and Walter sat themselves down on the rug, Allie stirred and blinked deeply as the sudden onslaught of sunlight hit her eyes. "I'm sorry, I guess I drifted off," she said, pushing herself to a sitting position. "Here, let me help."

At that moment, a man walked past wearing the regulation red swim shorts and carrying the unmistakeable orange flotation device of the LA County Lifeguard Department. "He must be older than Cabe," Toby whispered to Happy.

"Disappointing," noted Happy. "What happened to all the fit young lifeguards with abs of steel?"

Toby feigned a pain in his chest and Happy couldn't keep a straight face, dissolving into giggles. "Don't worry, Doc," she said. "I prefer my men a little scrawny."

"Scrawny?" exclaimed Toby, indignantly. Happy planted a reassuring kiss on his lips.

The lifeguard paused to admire their feast. "If I wasn't on duty I'd join you," he smiled and then he walked off along the beach.

Cabe was still asleep when everyone started to eat. Allie looked over her shoulder at him and then back to Toby. "Do you think I should wake him?" she asked.

"Absolutely," answered Toby. "I'll get a bucket of water."

Allie frowned at him. "That's not what I meant," she responded. "It's just that…" she lowered her voice before continuing. "I don't think he's been sleeping too well lately."

"Anything wrong?" asked Toby with concern.

Allie shrugged. "I don't know," she replied. "You know Cabe, he doesn't talk about that kind of thing, not even to me."

"I noticed," replied Toby with a roll of his eyes. "Don't worry," he added, resting a reassuring hand on her forearm. "I'll see if I can interrogate him later. I'll only use the thumbscrews if it's absolutely necessary."

Allie smiled. "Thank you," she said.

"As for whether you should wake him up," continued Toby. "He'll be really grouchy if he misses out on the food, so I say go for it."

Allie nodded and leaned over to shake Cabe gently by the shoulder.

Patrick piled up his plate with food. He'd lost weight in prison, but his appetite was making up for it now. "Here, sweetheart, have another slice of melon," he said, slipping the fruit from his plate to Happy's. "Full of vitamin C, it's good for you and the baby."

Happy pressed her lips together, supressing the urge to snap at her dad for fussing. Instead she managed a smile and a, "Thank you," – earning her an approving nod from Toby.

They sat and ate, enjoying the food, the weather and each other's company. Toby watched Paige for a while, noting with relief that she was far more relaxed after her walk with Walter, although he could tell she was still a little on edge.

"What's that buzzing noise?" said Sylvester suddenly as he wrapped a napkin around the corner of a sandwich to avoid touching it with his hands. He looked around for the source of the dull sound, but was none the wiser.

"Tinnitus?" offered Toby, unhelpfully. Happy elbowed him in the ribs and he yelped at the painful reprimand.

Sylvester frowned at him before his eyes widened. "There it is again!" he exclaimed.

The others all looked puzzled, they couldn't hear anything over the sound of children enthusiastically playing with a Frisbee and a group of teenagers who had been splashing each other in the sea for the last ten minutes.

Sylvester followed the sound and his eyes were drawn to the sky. "Look, it's a drone!"

"Is it one of those with a camera?" asked Allie, drawing her open shirt self-consciously around her body to cover the green bikini top she was wearing.

"I hate those damn things," grumbled Cabe. "Can't get any privacy anywhere these days."

"I don't see a camera," replied Walter. "Probably just some youths deliberately trying to agitate us. Ignore it."

"What you meant to say was some young people having fun," noted Paige, with a playful wiggle of her eyebrows.

"Oh, yes, fun," agreed Walter, with a sneer.

"We should do the same," announced Patty, getting to her feet. "I packed a ball, let's play."

"I should be resting," responded Happy, quickly. "Y'know… being pregnant."

Toby frowned at his wife. "Gentle exercise in early pregnancy is perfectly fine," he said. "In fact, studies show the more you exercise, the less likely you are to have a difficult labour." He leaned over to Happy and whispered in her ear, "You don't get out of it that easily," before tenderly kissing her forehead.

"I guess I don't want a difficult labour," replied Happy, reluctantly.

Patty quickly organised everyone into two teams and loudly shouted instructions to the reluctant geniuses.

"Patty, you know we don't really like sports," Sylvester protested after she'd sent him running across the sand to catch the ball.

"Some of us do," replied Paige. "Remember when we won that softball game?"

Toby glanced at her with surprise. It wasn't often that she mentioned any of the events from the first year of her relationship with Walter, the year before they'd broken up so spectacularly for a month before getting back together. The fact that she'd mentioned the softball game today of all days was significant. They'd all been so happy at the end of that particular day - sharing tacos and trophies and laughter – none of them having any idea just how badly the team would implode only a few weeks later. They'd been able to rebuild everything since then, of course, but Paige was still suffering some residual effects and today's anniversary of the day-they-would-all-rather-forget was dragging up old memories. "Interesting," he muttered under his breath.

"Of course I remember," smiled Patty. "We make a great team! Now, Toby, Patrick, you're both out of position and Ralph…" but she trailed off as her attention was caught by the sound of shouting.

Everyone spun round to see the group of teenagers who'd been playing in the surf running out of the water and yelling. "Help! Help!" The cry in unison was unmistakable.

Cabe and Walter were first to react and they raced across the sand, with Toby, Paige and Ralph right behind them.

Two teenage girls met them, screaming hysterically and pointing back towards the ocean where their other friend was waving frantically. Cabe grabbed one of the girls firmly by the shoulders. "What's wrong?" he said.

"Josh! He went under!" she screamed.

"Help him! Please!" cried the other girl.

"Oh, hell," muttered Cabe and he raced towards the water, with Walter hot on his heels.

"I'll call nine-one-one!" said Paige and she ran back to get her phone, just as Patrick, Happy, Patty, Allie and Sylvester arrived on the scene.

Cabe sprinted towards the water, diving in head first as soon as he was waist deep. Walter followed him, but kept his head above the water.

"Where the hell is that lifeguard?" yelled Happy, but he was nowhere in sight.

Toby and Ralph were soon knee deep in the water and they scanned the area, desperately hoping for a sign of the missing boy.

Back on the beach, Allie had her arm around one of the distraught girls, the other was clinging to her male friend as they waited. Sylvester clutched Patty's hand tightly and Patrick had his arm around Happy.

"Ambulance is on its way!" yelled Paige as she ran back to the shoreline. Then, "Oh, god…"

They could all see Cabe and Walter swimming back to shore pulling the limp form of the teenager – Josh – through the water between them. As soon as he could stand, Cabe dragged the boy out of the ocean and Toby splashed through the waves to join them. "He's not breathing, Doc," panted Cabe and he carried him in his arms up onto the beach.

"Put him down here!" urged Toby and Cabe laid the boy on the sand. Toby pressed his ear to the boy's chest, then used two fingers to search for a pulse in his neck. He exchanged an urgent glance with Cabe and then immediately started CPR.

"Oh no…" said Allie, clasping her hand to her mouth.

A small crowd had gathered around and some were using their phones to capture photos and videos as the dramatic events unfolded. Happy turned to face them. "You people are sick!" she yelled, marching towards the group. "Move now, or the cells all go in the ocean!"

Members of the crowd looked at each other, stunned by the fierceness of her outburst and the gathering quickly dissipated.

"The lifeguard station'll have a de-fib!" yelled Ralph and he set off towards the brightly painted wooden structure.

"The lifeguard station should also have a lifeguard," noted Sylvester.

"I didn't see that old guy walk back this way," replied Patty, looking around the beach, but all she could see was Ralph returning with the defibrillator.

Walter quickly set up the machine as Toby continued CPR, but just as he was about to deliver the first shock, the boy coughed.

Paige gasped. "Please… please…" she begged, willing him to be OK and Ralph grasped her hand as Toby rolled the spluttering boy onto his side.

Just then the sound of a siren pierced the air.

"Oh, thank god," said Patrick. He couldn't believe how their relaxing, family picnic could have taken such a dramatic turn. Then he remembered… this was just a typical day for Team Scorpion.

 _To be continued..._


	3. Chapter 3 - Future Plans

_**Walter gives everyone the day off and spends it with Paige while Toby and Happy pay a visit to the orphanage...**_

 **(A little more of the Waige storyline, plus I thought we should meet the soon-to-be Quintis twins! I hope you all enjoy this chapter, all comments welcome, thank you for reading!)**

 **CHAPTER 3.**

"That was the hospital, the kid had a comfortable night. They're sending him home this afternoon." Cabe pocketed his phone and breathed a sigh of relief.

Walter looked up from his computer. "That is pleasing news," he noted.

Toby and the paramedics had worked to stabilise Josh before he had been taken away in the ambulance and Cabe had spoken to his parents later, asking to be kept informed of his condition. One of Josh's friends had talked to Paige at the beach and explained that Josh wasn't a very good swimmer. The group had been teasing him and messing around and the next thing they knew he was out of his depth and had slipped under the water. The girl had been inconsolable with guilt and Paige had done her best to reassure her that the accident wasn't her fault.

"Any word on the missing lifeguard?" asked Toby.

"Nothing on any of the feeds," replied Sylvester, glancing at his laptop.

The lifeguard station had reported that the lifeguard who had been patrolling the area – the man the team had briefly spoken to during their picnic – had failed to return to HQ after his shift. Sylvester had been scanning social media and the more unconventional channels for any pertinent information, but so far there had been nothing.

Paige sighed. "Not exactly the way I hoped yesterday was going to turn out," she noted. "I mean, I'm glad Josh is going to be OK, but…" she trailed off and sighed again.

Toby glanced up at her with concern before turning to Walter, hoping he had picked up on her despondency and, to Toby's great relief, he was already on his feet. A year ago he would have been completely oblivious, but today Walter O'Brien was a changed man – he had worked so hard to improve his EQ and his ability to interpret and react to Paige's moods and all his hard work had really started to pay off.

"I very much enjoyed spending time with you, Paige a…and with everyone at the beach yesterday, but I agree the way the afternoon ended was unfortunate," said Walter, with a delicate touch of her forearm. "I don't believe we have any urgent work requiring my attention here today, so w…why don't you and I spend the day together? You can choose the activity."

Toby snickered and Happy elbowed him in the ribs. "Perv," she hissed.

Paige caught Toby's eye, but chose to ignore the suggestive grin on his face. "That sounds lovely, Walter," she replied with a smile. "Why don't we drive out to that new Moroccan restaurant?"

"Moroccan?" replied Walter. "Hmmm, OK. Sharing a new culinary experience with you would be most enjoyable." He glanced at Toby and was reassured by his nod of approval.

Paige beamed with delight and wrapped her arms around Walter's neck. "I love you," she said.

"Reciprocated," responded Walter. Then he turned to the rest of the team. "In fact," he continued. "I think we can all afford to take the day off. A relaxed and rejuvenated team is a more efficient team. I'll see you all in the morning."

The first person on his feet was Sylvester. "I'm off to the Warlock's Chest!" he announced, slinging his bag over his shoulder and running out of the door with a huge grin on his face.

Cabe was next. "Allie wants me to paint the spare room," he announced. "Apparently the walls of my apartment aren't colourful enough for her."

"Yellow," said Toby, quickly. "Stimulates the production of serotonin in the brain. Makes you feel good. Unless you're going for something a little more calming, then you'll want to paint it a soft blue."

Cabe sneered at him in disbelief. "Thanks for the advice that I didn't ask for, Doc," he said, sarcastically. "But it'll be whatever colour is on special at Home Depot. I'm outta here, see you kids tomorrow."

"We're gonna cut this joint too," said Happy. "Come on, Doc. Why don't we go see the girls?"

"Great idea!" exclaimed Toby, grabbing her hand and half-dragging her towards the door. "I'll call the orphanage on the way." Without slowing, he turned back briefly to call out to Walter and Paige. "Have fun, lovebirds! Don't do anything we wouldn't do!"

Walter sneered as they disappeared out of the garage. "I'm not sure that there's anything those two wouldn't do at least once," he noted.

Paige giggled and squeezed his arm. "You could be right," she said. She leaned her head against his shoulder. "You know," she said, her voice a little softer now. "It is a little early for lunch, we could… y'know… go upstairs for a while?" She lifted her head and drew her lower lip in between her teeth.

Walter felt his face flush red. He couldn't explain it, but that simple gesture had always had the same effect on him. He tenderly stroked her hair with his fingertips. "We… we do have the p…place to ourselves," he replied. "It would be remiss of us n…not to take advantage."

Paige lifted herself on tiptoe and their lips met in a passionate kiss. "I love you, Walter," she said, for the second time that morning… and her heart skipped a beat at his reply.

"I love you too, Paige."

xXxXxXxXx

Caitlin and Stella soon-to-be Quinn-Curtis were the most adorable fourteen month old twins Happy had ever met. Not that she'd met many fourteen month old twins before, but she had fallen in love with these girls the moment she'd laid eyes on them.

"Hey, look who's here!"

Toby and Happy stood up to greet Anthea, the senior childcare worker who had been taking care of the twins since they had arrived at the orphanage three months ago. Anthea was holding Stella's hand and the little girl broke free as soon as she recognised their visitors, running with confidence into Toby's outstretched arms. Toby lifted her into the air and she squealed with delight.

"Someone's pleased to see Mommy and Daddy!" grinned Toby. The girls' grandmother had told them that her son and his wife had always referred to themselves as Mama and Papa, so they had all agreed Caitlin and Stella could know Happy and Toby as 'Mommy and Daddy' right from the start of the adoption process without it causing any confusion for them.

Happy exchanged small talk with Anthea and watched Toby playing with Stella, wishing – not for the first time - that she was as comfortable around the children as her husband was. She desperately wanted to join with their games, but she simply didn't know how and it scared her that it didn't come naturally to her.

"Caitlin's quiet again today," noted Happy. Anthea still had Caitlin in her arms and the little girl clung tightly to her neck, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. It was the same every time they visited the orphanage. Caitlin was much more reticent than Stella, lacking her sister's confidence and it always took her a little while to come out of her shell.

"Why don't you have a cuddle with Mommy?" suggested Anthea softly, trying to peel the child away from her.

Happy stepped forward and Anthea passed the still reluctant little girl into her arms before sitting on the couch, glad to have her hands free again. Caitlin started to whimper and Happy found herself making soothing noises to calm her, rocking her gently from side to side as she did so. Toby looked up from the floor and smiled, delighted to see his wife looking so natural with Caitlin in her arms.

Caitlin seemed to be calmed by the motion and Happy smiled at her. "Hey, so, you remember who I am now?" she asked. She picked up a soft toy – Happy hadn't quite decided if it was a bear or a rabbit – and held it out for Caitlin. The little girl took it from her and a small smile danced at the corners of her lips.

Toby turned his attention back to Stella. She had been carefully piling up some plastic blocks and Toby grinned at her. "Look, Hap," he said. "We might have another engineer in the family!" Just then, Stella deliberately knocked down the bricks with a swipe of her hand. "And she has your passion for smashing things too," added Toby with a smirk.

Happy just shrugged a nonchalant gesture and tried to encourage Caitlin to play with another toy, but the little girl appeared happy with the one she was already clutching in her tiny hand.

Stella and Caitlin both carried the scars of the terrible car accident that had killed their parents. Caitlin had escaped relatively unscathed, physically at least, but she appeared to have some emotional scars. She had been pulled from the wreckage fully conscious and when they'd first been considering the adoption Toby had explained to Happy that even at ten months old such a traumatic experience would have affected her. It went some way to explaining her quiet personality.

Stella had sustained a serious head injury which had left her with a large scar down the left side of her face. Doctors had originally feared she would lose her eye, but it had been saved, thanks to the skilful surgeons at the children's hospital and now her sight was slowly improving. The twins had been through so much in their short lives already, but the strength and determination they had both shown since the accident had convinced Happy and Toby that they were the perfect children to bring into their lives.

"Hey," continued Toby, grinning broadly at Stella. "Shall we play the noisy car game?"

Happy and Anthea exchanged a smile. The first time they'd met the twins, Toby had invented the 'noisy car game' and he played it with Stella every time they visited. Stella thought it was just a game, she had no idea that Toby was using the game to carefully monitor how well she was recovering from her injuries.

"Look at the car!" Toby urged, picking up the 'noisy car' - a small police car with a siren and flashing light on the roof – and holding it up in the air. He pressed the button to set off the light and sound and Stella giggled as her eyes began to follow it around the room. "Wow, look at that extraocular muscle strength!" Toby said, smiling with delight and rewarding Stella with a raspberry on her neck. He looked up at Happy and Anthea. "So much improvement on last time," he said.

"Good," said Happy. Caitlin wriggled in her arms and grabbed at Happy's hair, causing her to wince in pain.

"Hey, I think Mommy wants to play the noisy car game now," said Toby, getting up off the floor. He crossed to the couch and took Caitlin from Happy. Happy instinctively kissed the little girl before taking her place on the floor and, somewhat awkwardly, starting to drive the toy vehicles around the rug while Stella grabbed at them.

"I'm so sorry the paperwork is taking so long," said Anthea as Toby settled Caitlin on his knee. "We're almost there. Your lawyer, Mr Dodd, is working so hard for you. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be nearly this close already. The whole adoption process is absurd. It makes me so mad every time we go through this. All our kids need parents now, not this time next year!"

Toby nodded in agreement. "You'd think we were trying to become Supreme Leaders of the Universe, not adopt a couple of beautiful little girls," he noted, dryly. "Although I like the sound of Supreme Leader of the Universe, that's a title I could carry off, don't y'think?" He grinned smugly and Happy scowled at him. Toby lowered his voice and leaned towards Anthea. "Happy likes to pretend she's the supreme leader of our marriage," he noted.

"Because I am," said Happy, without missing a beat. "You couldn't lead a moth to a flame."

Just then, Anthea's phone played a five note melody. She pulled it from her pocket and looked at the screen. "It's a text from my sister," she explained. "Our Mom's been sick, I should call her back," she added and she walked out of the room.

Toby sat Caitlin on the couch and encouraged her to play with the toy bear – it was definitely a bear, he decided, despite Happy's suggestion that it could be a rabbit. He studied every move the child made, every time she reached for the toy, the way she looked at it, or at him and the way she reacted to the noises he made as he jumped the bear up and down in front of her. He was starting to form a much clearer picture of her psyche and the way she was processing the traumatic events that had invaded her young life. He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head, making her a silent promise that he and Happy would protect her and her sister from any more harm.

Happy noticed the gesture. She had seen a definite change in Toby since they'd decided to adopt Stella and Caitlin. Definitely a change for the better, she acknowledged. Despite all the heartbreak they'd endured along the way – not least of which was Scorpion falling apart, albeit only for a few weeks, right at the start of their journey – they had stayed strong for each other and Happy knew Toby was going to be the best father any kid could ever have. She just hoped and wished she could be a good mother.

Happy had to remind herself that in less than six months, once the baby was born, they'd be the proud parents of three kids under two years old. That prospect terrified and excited her in ways she would never understand. Toby understood, though. He always understood her... even when he was being a doofus, she thought to herself with a smile.

Anthea entered the room with a sombre look on her face.

"Everything OK with your mom?" asked Toby with concern.

"What? Oh, yeah, she's fine," replied Anthea. "My sister wasn't calling about her at all. She's a county lifeguard. They just pulled a body from the ocean, he was one of their own, a veteran lifeguard. She's known him ever since she was a rookie. She's devastated."

Happy and Toby exchanged a shocked look. "Um, we were at the beach yesterday," Happy explained. "I think we might have seen the guy before he went missing. Some kid got into trouble in the water, we had to rescue him. The lifeguard wasn't around. If he'd been watching the water the kid would never have gotten so far out of his depth."

"We should call Cabe," said Toby. "He'll want to know, if he doesn't already and the cops'll probably want statements from all of us. We may have been the last people to see the guy alive."

"Oh, god," said Anthea. "The police?"

"Standard procedure," replied Happy.

Toby got to his feet with Caitlin in his arms. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart," he said. "We were having so much fun, but Mommy and Daddy have to go now." He kissed her gently on the cheek. "We'll be back soon, I promise." The little girl clung tightly to his neck, just as she had done to Anthea when they'd arrived.

"I hate leaving them," said Happy, forcing down a wave of emotion as she hugged Stella, while Andrea prised Caitlin from Toby.

"Hey, tell your sister we're sorry about her friend," said Toby.

As they walked back to the car their phones both simultaneously buzzed. "That'll be Sly," said Happy and she checked her screen just to be sure. "Yep," she confirmed. "Looks like the news has hit cyberspace."

xXxXxXxXx

Paige opened her eyes and blinked deeply. She reached across the bed, her lips stretching into a smile, but there was no one there. She sat bolt upright and drew a sharp breath. Walter was sitting across the loft at his desk and a terrible feeling of déjà vu suddenly overwhelmed her. "Walter?" she said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

The first time she had woken up in Walter's bed – almost two years ago now – her dizzy excitement and sheer bliss had quickly been replaced by crushing uncertainty. She'd asked him if their first night together had been worth waiting three years for, only for him to hesitate and ultimately not give her any answer at all. The next thing she remembered was him talking about Mark Collins. She had expected something more from him and his apparent indifference had sent her into a spiral of insecurity.

Walter was now sitting in exactly the same position as he had been on that morning and for one terrifying moment Paige could see it all happening again. But this time something was different. Walter was different. Still the same Walter she had fallen in love with, but now he understood her more than he had ever done before. Now they communicated, told each other if they were worried or upset and their relationship was more secure than it had ever been. "Walter?" she repeated.

Walter looked round. "Hey, sleepyhead," he said with a smile. "I didn't want to disturb you." He got up from his chair and walked back to the bed, sitting himself down on the edge. He gently caressed the side of Paige's face and smiled before leaning in for a kiss.

Paige's pulse quickened at the touch of his lips on hers and she desperately tried to relax and enjoy this moment, but she was still shaken by her harsh memories.

Walter pulled away and looked at her with concern. "Is… is something wrong?" he asked.

"No," Paige answered, dismissively.

"I don't believe that answer w…was accurate," replied Walter. "Please tell me, did I do something wrong? I… I very much enjoyed our intimacy, but if you didn't you should tell me. This is a very important part of our relationship a…and we've never had problems with… with… intimacy before, but…" he desperately searched for a way to complete his sentence.

Paige laughed lightly. "Relax, Walter, I very much enjoyed our intimacy too," she said, imitating his choice of words. "Very much," she repeated with a flirty raise of her eyebrows. "I'm sorry, it's just…" she trailed off and her face fell. "This is going to sound silly, but can we reorganise?"

"Reorganise what, exactly?"

"The loft," replied Paige. "Move the furniture around, I mean. Maybe put the bed over against that wall and your desk could go nearer to the shelves?"

"Why?" asked Walter. "The current arrangement is the most efficient. The electricity outlets are all along that wall and…"

"Happy can put in new outlets," Paige interrupted him.

Walter was confused, but didn't want to argue with her. "OK, why not."

Paige smiled. "Thank you," she said. "I should get ready if we want to get to the restaurant."

"Ah," said Walter with a guilty look. "I'm so sorry, Paige, but I had a call from Cabe. The team are on their way back here."

"We have a case?" queried Paige, pulling back the covers and leaping out of bed.

"Not exactly," responded Walter. "Unless Scorpion is taking on homicide investigations now."

 _To be continued…_


	4. Chapter 4 - Family

_**Ray cooks, Toby discovers something about Allie and Walter has an epiphany.**_

 **(Thank you kindly for all the reviews so far, I hope you enjoy this chapter!)**

 **CHAPTER 4.**

"Come and get your Ray Burgers!"

It was a warm evening and most of the team were gathered out on the roof, enjoying a barbecue. Sylvester and Patty had gone to a council meeting and Ralph had gone with them for moral support. Ray, who had not been able to join them at the beach the day before, had insisted on being in charge of the cooking this evening.

"You do know that beef burgers are made of beef, right?" said Toby, crossing the rooftop towards Ray as smoke billowed out from the barbecue. "And chicken burgers are made of chicken."

"Of course I do, my medical friend," replied Ray, brandishing a spatula as Walter joined Toby. "And I get what you're saying, but you don't have to chow down on the finest cuts of my beautiful booty. The Ray Burger is a thing. Y'know, a brand. I'm just waiting for the patent to come through now."

"Don't hold your breath," grumbled Walter. "I'm still waiting for a response about the Walter O'Brien Centre Cut Meat Tube. It's been eighteen months."

Toby raised his eyebrows. "Wow," he said, sarcastically. "The Patent Office clearly don't know a processed meat revolution when they see one."

"Indeed," responded Walter, missing the sarcasm as usual as Ray flipped burgers onto their plates.

Toby was the first to take a bite, but his face fell into a frown as he chewed. He lifted his burger to eye level and peered closely at it. "I kinda feel I should be suturing this, not eating it," he said.

Ray turned to look at him with a questioning gaze. Toby held up his plate and Ray and Walter inspected the burger. There was clearly a large section of raw meat in the centre and Walter immediately put down his own plate before silently walking away to sit with Paige.

Ray simply skewered Toby's burger with a fork and put it back onto the hot cooking surface, just as Cabe appeared at his shoulder. "Geniuses," he began with a roll of his eyes. "They don't appreciate good food. Gimme one of those burgers. I prefer mine a little pink inside."

Ray grinned and handed a burger to Cabe, slapping him affectionately on the back with a little more force than was necessary.

Happy and Allie watched the scene with amusement as the sun began to set over Los Angeles. "I guess you still haven't persuaded Cabe to turn vegetarian?" asked Happy with a smirk.

Allie shook her head. "Not even close. I'm pescatarian now, though, after Toby told me about the benefits of fish oil for women of my age."

"I hope you punched him," responded Happy.

"But he's right, I'm not getting any younger," Allie replied. She glanced down at Happy's abdomen with a smile. She was starting to show now and the way the engineer was sitting in the canvas chair was accentuating her new curves. "How's your appetite today?" Allie asked her.

Happy screwed up her nose. "Better than when I was throwing up every day, I guess," she replied. "But I sure as hell ain't going anywhere near a Ray Burger. I can't believe I was so desperate to get pregnant, it totally sucks."

Allie smiled and patted her arm warmly. She knew that Happy was being flippant. She may not be enjoying every aspect of her pregnancy, but Allie knew she wouldn't change it for the world.

Just then Paige walked over with two burger-free plates of food. Neither of the other two women looked that impressed. "Um, I can see if we have anything else?" Paige said, with an apologetic smile.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Paige," replied Allie. "It looks delicious, I just… I guess I don't have much of an appetite today. I can't stop thinking about that poor man."

Paige sat beside her and gave her a sympathetic smile. "We all gave our statements to the police this afternoon," she said. "That's all we can do."

They knew very little about the circumstances of the murder. All Cabe had found out from his contact at the police department was that the veteran lifeguard had been pulled from the sea with a bullet wound to the chest. Cabe told them that, as far as he knew, there were no suspects yet.

Allie looked over to where Cabe and Patrick were starting on their second Ray Burgers of the evening and Paige and Happy exchanged a concerned glance. It was out of character for Allie to be so despondent.

"I know, ice cream!" announced Paige, suddenly. "Happy, when I was pregnant, my biggest craving was mint choc flavour."

Happy shook her head. "Can't stomach chocolate," she replied. "Do we have any strawberry fro-yo?"

"I think so," replied Paige. "I'll go check. Allie?"

"Fro-yo would be nice," agreed Allie and Paige got to her feet, exchanging another glance and an almost unnoticeable nod with Happy before walking off towards the door.

Happy kept Allie talking to prevent her from seeing Paige taking a quick detour to where Toby and Walter were sitting eating hot dogs, having both decided to give Ray Burgers a miss.

"Is something wrong, my love?" asked Walter as Paige approached.

Paige leaned forward slightly to avoid being overheard. "Possibly," she replied. "With Allie," she clarified. "Toby, Happy and I thought maybe you could talk to her? She seems really down today."

"Sure," replied Toby and Paige resumed her mission to find frozen yoghurt.

Happy glanced up as her husband walked over to them and the spouses exchanged a knowing look.

"I need to pee again," she announced, suddenly standing up and turning towards the door. "Stupid hormones," she added as she walked away.

Toby glanced at Allie's untouched plate of food. "Not hungry?" he asked with his eyebrows raised.

"Not really," replied Allie. She managed a small smile at Toby's enquiring expression. "I'm OK," she insisted. "I'm just thinking about what happened yesterday."

"The kid we pulled from the water, or the murdered lifeguard?" asked Toby.

"Both, I guess," replied Allie. "I don't know why. I mean, it's not the first murder to happen in LA."

Toby considered her response for a moment. "I think I know why," he replied, gently. "The lifeguard was about the same age as Cabe. When something like this happens it's only natural to draw parallels with our own lives."

Allie nodded slowly. "I guess," she agreed. "I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to Cabe." Tears suddenly sprung to her eyes.

Toby reached out and covered her hand with his. "Hey, Cabe's not going anywhere just yet," he tried to reassure her. "He's indestructible. He's survived five years of risking his life to save our asses, so he can survive anything."

Allie smiled weakly at him and Toby mentally noted her expression and every tiny gesture she made.

"Oh, that's not the only reason you're feeling a little introspective today, is it," he said, a little surprised at what he'd just observed. "You're throwing out a whole load of maternal markers," he explained. "You're broody!"

Allie drew a sharp breath. "No!" she insisted.

"Normal when someone you're close to is pregnant," Toby pointed out.

Allie shook her head. "Toby, you know it's far too late for me to be getting broody," she said. "Besides, my nieces and nephew are all I've ever wanted."

"They were," answered Toby, knowingly. "Before you met Cabe."

Allie blushed slightly.

"Now you're all loved up and living in domestic bliss," Toby winked. "And you've never been so happy, but you're starting to think there's something missing."

"Cabe lost his daughter years ago. I know he still thinks about her all the time, but we're too old for a baby now, even if my body was willing and able, which it isn't," replied Allie. "But… I guess I saw that poor boy, Josh, almost drown yesterday and…" she trailed off, not quite able to put her thoughts into words.

"Have you talked to Cabe about this?" asked Toby. Allie shook her head. "Maybe you should?" he suggested.

"We already have you guys, we don't need any more kids," Allie pointed out with a warm smile. "But I… I did start to look into fostering a few years ago. I decided I couldn't do it on my own and I haven't really thought about it since. Until very recently. I know Happy has some terrible stories to tell. If we could save just one child from going through what she did…" she trailed off and was encouraged by Toby's approving nod.

"Plenty of teenagers out there in need of a good home, with good parents," he pointed out. He paused to gauge her reaction before continuing. "Take it from me, that old guy you hang out with is a pretty good dad."

Allie blinked away tears again and let out a long, slow sigh. "Thank you," she said. "Maybe…. maybe I'll mention it to Cabe when we get home."

Toby nodded and smiled. "I think you might be surprised at his answer," he said, knowingly.

"Hey, guys, we have visitors."

Everyone turned at the sound of Paige's voice as she stepped back out onto the roof.

"Anthea?" Happy leapt to her feet in a panic as she recognised one of the women standing with Paige. "Is it the girls? Is something wrong?"

"No, no, they're fine," insisted Anthea and Happy breathed a sigh of relief. She turned to the younger woman beside her. "This is Kimberley, my sister. She wanted to meet you all."

Kimberley smiled weakly at the assembled crowd. "I was a lifeguard with Charlie Snyder. Anthea told me you were the last people to see him alive, before he… before he…"

"Charles Snyder? The murdered lifeguard?" queried Walter, stepping forward.

Paige frowned at his tactless response, acknowledging to herself that, despite his EQ advances in recent months, Walter still had a lot to learn about interacting with people. "We're so sorry about your friend," she said. "But we only met him very briefly yesterday."

Kimberley nodded sadly. "He was a good man," she said, quietly. "He didn't deserve this."

"If we can be of any assistance…" said Walter, trailing off because he wasn't really sure how to complete the sentence.

Cabe pulled him aside. "You know the cops are handling this investigation, son," he reminded Walter as Paige led Kimberley towards a chair to sit down.

"Yes, of course," replied Walter. "But… but…"

Seeing Kimberley's raw grief had hit him hard and Walter suddenly had an overwhelming urge to help her.

"But, we've assisted with homicide investigations before," he continued. "And Scorpion are obviously far better equipped than the police – mentally speaking, apart from anything else – to find the culprit and bring them to justice," he added with determination.

Cabe rolled his eyes. He knew that look all too well, there was no stopping Walter when he was in this mood. "I'll see what strings I can pull, son," he said, somewhat reluctantly. "But our involvement has to stay strictly unofficial, understood? This isn't a Homeland case."

"Of course, Cabe," replied Walter. "Don't worry, we won't cause any trouble."

xXxXxXxXxX

"Smell you later, One Ninety Seven!"

"Toby, wait," Walter called out and darted across the garage to catch his friend before he disappeared for the night. Walter was aware that Happy was already waiting in the truck for her husband, but he really needed to talk to Toby. "May I… may I ask your advice?"

"Excuse me? I think I need my ears syringed," replied Toby with a grin. "For a minute there I thought you were actually asking for my advice."

Walter frowned at him. "I'm being serious," he said, pulling out a chair for Toby to sit on. "It's about Paige. I… I'm confused."

Toby's expression softened. "OK, pal, I'm in," he said. "How can I help?"

"Paige wants to reorganise the furniture," Walter explained. "In… in the loft. There's no logical reason for it, b… but I agreed to it anyway. I just don't understand why she wants to do it."

"Did you ask her why?"

Walter shook his head. "No," he admitted. "I… I guess I should have asked her to explain."

"She probably wanted you to ask," Toby explained. "She wanted to explain, but she didn't feel she could just come out with it."

Walter frowned. "Why not? Do you have any idea what this is all about?"

"I think so," Toby replied. "She's still struggling with a few demons from last year and the loft holds a lot of memories for her. Most of them, I'm guessing, are pretty good memories," he added with a wink. "Am I right, Mister O'Love-God?"

Walter's face flushed and he cleared his throat in embarrassment.

"But it still looks exactly the same as it did a year ago," continued Toby, his face more serious now. "The same as it did two years ago and three years ago."

"The current layout is efficient and suits my needs," replied Walter with a confused frown. "Why would I change it?"

"Because some of those memories are not so good and the current layout is triggering the bad ones," Toby explained. "It's like seeing your old PE teacher in the grocery store and you suddenly get a flashback of being in gym class."

"Climbing rope in your underwear because Tommy Byrne stole your gym kit," added Walter.

Toby stared at him. "We really need to talk about that one day," he said. "But do you see what I mean about Paige."

"Hmmm," pondered Walter. "I think so."

"You need to talk to her about it," urged Toby. "You could just move the furniture around and that would be an immediate fix, but it won't resolve the issue long term."

"There are still s… some things from before… before, you know, that we haven't talked about," admitted Walter.

Toby patted his shoulder with affection. He was so proud of the way Walter had opened himself to Paige's needs and of how he tried so hard to consider her thoughts and feelings. "You're gonna have to push her a little on this one," replied Toby. "Reassure her that you believe her opinions are valid."

"Right," nodded Walter.

Just then, Paige walked in carrying the last of the plates from the roof. She stopped when she saw Toby and Walter talking. She just knew they were talking about her and she could feel her heartrate increase. Walter leapt to his feet and ran over to help her with the plates.

"Well, I really shouldn't keep my beautiful wife waiting any longer," said Toby. "It's not good for my gooty."

"Leave the plates," said Walter as the door closed behind Toby.

Paige allowed him to walk her towards the couch and they sat together. "I need to pick up Ralph from Sylvester's," she reminded him, with a glance at her watch.

"I know," replied Walter. "This won't take long. I… I just wanted to… to ask you about the loft."

"Oh," Paige answered. "Look, I'm sorry I mentioned it. You don't have to reorganise anything at all."

"I do," insisted Walter, reaching out and taking her hands in his. "B… because it's bothering you."

Paige looked away. "It's only some silly memories," she said.

"Ah, so Toby was correct," noted Walter.

"I knew you guys were talking about me," responded Paige. She didn't mind really, she trusted Toby to give Walter good advice, but it still made her feel a little uncomfortable. She made a mental note to ask Toby about it in their next therapy session.

"Look, Walter, it's your loft," she continued. "You can put the furniture wherever you want."

Walter's eyes widened as a sudden idea struck him. "Yes, it is," he said. His genius mind began to work overtime as he desperately tried to figure out all the details of his new plan plus a way to explain it to Paige, all in less than two seconds.

"You… you don't have to be quite so blunt about it," replied Paige, with mild annoyance.

"Oh… oh, I'm sorry," said Walter. "I… I didn't m… mean…" he stopped to take a breath and gather his thoughts. "I… I meant that you are correct. The loft is mine, my home. But it's not our home. We… we should… we could…. if you wanted to, that is…"

"Walter!" Paige's heart skipped a beat as she suddenly realised what he was trying to say. "Are you suggesting that we… that we move in together?"

"Yes, I am!" exclaimed Walter. An enormous sense of relief washed over him as he realised not only that she had understood his unintelligible ramblings, but also that she was smiling. The most wonderful smile he'd ever seen. "Paige, I love you. I want to be with you, all the time. B… but not here. I want to make new memories with you. A… and with Ralph, of course. As a family. In a family home. A… a place of our own. Is that… is that what you want too?"

Paige fell into his arms. She never wanted this moment to end. She wanted to hold onto this feeling forever. "Of course I do!" she replied, as tears of joy began to run down her cheeks. "I've never wanted anything more in my life. Walter, I love you so much."

 _To be continued..._


	5. Chapter 5 - Investigation

**The team start - unofficially - working on the homicide investigation and Paige and Walter begin their search for a new home.**

 _ **(Thank you to everyone for your comments on this story so far, I hope you enjoy this chapter!)**_

 **CHAPTER 5.**

"Autopsy report coming your way, Toby."

"Thanks, Walt." Toby walked over to his desk and perched on the corner. He scooted his laptop across and opened the file Walter had just emailed to him.

"I don't think I want to know how you got hold of that report do I," noted Cabe with a roll of his eyes.

"The Medical Examiner's office clearly don't know a thing about cyber security," replied Walter with a dismissive shrug.

Cabe walked across the garage to join Toby and peered over his shoulder at the screen. "The intel I got from my contact said cause of death was a single bullet wound."

Toby nodded as he scanned the report. "Yep," he agreed. "Bullet punctured the left ventricle and the pulmonary artery. Instant death."

"So he was dead before he entered the water?" Walter and queried.

"Yes," agreed Toby. "No sign of drowning, his lungs were clear. Walt, were there any photos?"

"None," replied Walter. "I presume that's unusual?"

"The ME's office don't generally meet the Walter O'Brien efficiency requirements," replied Toby. "I guess they'll show up later."

"Who shoots a lifeguard, anyway?" asked Happy, putting down the tools she'd been sharpening.

"That's the big question, Sugarplum," replied Toby.

"There!" exclaimed Sylvester triumphantly as he pressed one final button on his computer. "Everything I could find on the victim. Personnel files, financial records, outstanding parking tickets, everything. I'll ping it all to the monitor tree."

"Aren't we supposed to be investigating the suspects, not the victim?" asked Happy with a frown.

"We don't have any suspects to investigate yet," Walter pointed out.

"Maybe geniuses aren't cut out for detective work after all?" retorted Happy as she joined Walter, Toby and Cabe who had already gathered around the monitors.

"I'm pretty sure low IQ is an actual requirement, if the local cops are anything to go by," smirked Toby.

Sylvester quickly joined the others. "Started as a rookie lifeguard thirty six years ago," he began, reading from the screen. "Worked his way up through the ranks and at the time of his death he was semi-retired, only putting in a few shifts a month. Well respected, popular, reliable."

"All round perfect guy," noted Happy, dryly.

"Just like me," grinned Toby. Happy glared at him.

"I was gonna say - all round perfect guy, so he must have a dirty little secret," Happy explained, raising her eyebrows pointedly towards Toby.

"Don't be so cynical, kid," frowned Cabe.

"Happy may have a point," noted Walter. "Look." He pointed to one of the documents on display in front of them. "Six years ago he was suspended for eight months for being part of a group protesting against an undersea oil pipe."

"Eventually the environment agency forced the oil company to reroute the pipe to avoid a protected spawning ground for Cambarellus Pacifastacus Pisum," explained Sylvester. At the sea of puzzled looks from his friends he added. "The Pacific Pea crayfish, it's an endangered species."

"You think the oil company waited six years to get their revenge on one man?" queried Happy in disbelief.

"Doubt it," noted Toby. "But it shows he was passionate about environmental causes."

"Willing to jeopardise the career he loved for a bunch of prawns," added Cabe.

"A risk, not a bunch," said Walter.

Cabe looked at him with a confused frown.

"A risk of crayfish, that's the correct collective noun, the same as lobsters," explained Walter. "And crayfish are not prawns."

Before Cabe could offer a sarcastic reply about how much he didn't care about collective nouns, Paige and Allie arrived at the garage and Cabe skipped over to greet Allie with a kiss.

Walter quickly leapt to his feet and did the same for Paige, earning a knowing grin from Toby.

"Did you find what you were looking for at the mall?" asked Cabe, with a slightly worried glance towards the large number of shopping bags Allie was carrying.

"I did," replied Allie with a smile. Then she turned to Paige. "Thank you, Paige. A girly morning was just what I needed."

"Any time," Paige replied. Then she noticed the monitors and her smile faded. "Are you working on the investigation?" she asked.

"Yes," replied Walter. "B…but don't worry, I haven't forgotten our appointment with the realtor this afternoon."

"Checking out potential love nests?" asked Toby with a grin. Walter had told the rest of the team about their plans to get a place together.

"A suitable nest might be easier to find," noted Walter. "The only details the realtor has sent over so far are for entirely inadequate properties."

"We agreed to at least view some of them," Paige replied. "Just to get a feel for the kind of places that are within our budget."

"Distance to work, to Ralph's school and the availability of local amenities are important," replied Walter. "A feel – however one defines that – is not."

Walter was about to turn his attention back to the monitors when he saw Cabe's raised eyebrows and immediately realised that he'd done something wrong. Of course he shouldn't have dismissed Paige's opinions – particularly when they involved feelings. He could have kicked himself. He spun back round to face Paige. "I… I'm sorry," he mumbled. "You are correct, we should view them before making any decisions."

"Maybe we should talk some more about what we both want?" suggested Paige.

"I… I'll be happy with whatever apartment you choose," replied Walter, smiling warmly at her. To his disappointment and confusion, Paige didn't smile back.

"But this is a big step for us, Walter," she answered with a sigh. "We need to make the decision together. This is about us, not just me."

"O…o…of course, my love," nodded Walter. Beads of sweat had started to form at his temples as he felt himself getting out of his depth. He had assumed – wrongly it seemed – that allowing Paige to make all the decisions when it came to their new home was the right thing to do. "M…m…maybe we should input our preferences onto a spreadsheet for the purposes of statistical analysis? Then we can identify where our priorities correlate and concentrate our property search in those areas."

"A spreadsheet?" exclaimed Paige, but she managed to stop herself before she could say anything she might regret. A spreadsheet was the last thing on her mind, it reminded her too much of the mind numbing paperwork she did every day for Scorpion, but she realised that it was the perfect way for Walter to focus. Paige would have preferred a lively conversation over lunch in a nice restaurant, but she quickly realised that this was one of those times when she had to allow Walter to be a genius. If statistical analysis was the best way for Walter to communicate his thoughts on their search for a new home, then she was OK with it. "Walter, we'll sit down together and work on the spreadsheet this evening," she said. "Viewing these few places this afternoon might give us some ideas?"

Walter smiled and nodded emphatically. "Th…thank you," he said.

Paige stepped forward and surprised him with a kiss. "I love you," she said.

Walter deepened the kiss, before breaking away. "Paige, you know that I would never do…" he began, but Paige put a single finger on his lips to silence him.

"I know," she whispered.

"Either get a room, or get back over here, O'Brien," Happy demanded. "Sly dug up something weird."

Walter blushed hard and raced back over to join the others, almost tripping over his own feet in the process. Paige walked past on her way to the kitchen with a bag of groceries and caught Toby's eye on the way. He gave her a quick nod and she returned a smile, knowing he would understand how elated she was about the idea of putting down roots with Walter.

"What have you found?" asked Walter.

"There's an ex-wife on the scene," explained Cabe. "She's a marine biologist. They were married for eleven years, divorced six years ago, no kids."

"But according to his phone records, they've been in regular contact for the last year," added Sylvester.

"It's not unusual for couples to reunite," said Toby. "They were together for eleven years, that kind of connection doesn't just disappear. They've had six years to forgive and forget. It's human nature to focus the good times and gloss over the bad. That's one reason why abusive relationships drag on and on."

"But she's loved up with some creepy looking guy from the environment agency," noted Happy, pointing at a photo of a middle aged man on the screen.

"He does look creepy," agreed Sylvester.

"Oh well, case closed!" announced Toby. "The creepy looking guy did it. Cabe, arrest that man! Can we eat doughnuts now?"

Happy elbowed her husband and he yelped. "You've seen cop shows," she scowled. "We've gotta at least eliminate them both from our enquiries, right?"

"OK, OK," Toby conceded. "Sly, send me everything you have on the ex-wife and the creepy guy, I'll profile the heck out of the both of 'em."

"Excellent," beamed Walter. "Paige, we need to go or we'll be late for the first viewing."

"Good luck," called Happy as the two of them left the garage. "You're gonna need it," she added under her breath.

"Coffee, sweetheart?" asked Cabe as he wandered over towards the coffee machine.

"Thanks, babe," replied Toby with a huge grin.

"You can get your own, Doc," sneered Cabe and he began to pour himself a cup.

"Actually, I'd love tea," said Allie, giggling at the exchange. "Paige and I had cappuccinos at that new coffee house at the mall before we came home."

Cabe set his coffee cup down and headed for the kitchen while Toby joined Allie on the couch. "I take it you didn't talk to Cabe last night about the fostering idea," he noted.

Allie sighed. "I just didn't find a good time to bring it up," she replied.

"So yesterday you identified a void in your life and today you've filled it with a designer purse instead of a foster kid," replied Toby, pulling a small leather bag from amongst her shopping. "Quick fix, but it won't last." He glanced at the price tag and let out a whistle. "Geez, I'm so glad the love of my life isn't into these things."

"It's not like that," insisted Allie. "I will mention it to Cabe. It's just…"

"It's just you know he's perfectly happy with the way things are," Toby finished her sentence for her.

"Maybe," she conceded. "And don't get me wrong, Toby. I'm perfectly happy too."

"I know you are," he agreed. "But if you don't scratch this itch it'll never go away. Those 'what if' thoughts will always be at the back of your mind for the rest of your life and that kind of thing can be pretty destructive."

Allie nodded and smiled. "Thank you," she said. "You're right."

"Of course," winked Toby and Allie laughed. "So… you'll talk it over with him?" prompted Toby.

"Yes," she agreed. "Not here, though."

"Fishsticks!" exclaimed Sylvester suddenly. He leapt to his feet and stumbled backwards away from his desk.

"What is it?" asked Cabe, running back from the kitchen.

"I… I… I found the missing autopsy photographs," said Sylvester, pointing a shaky finger towards his computer screen. "I… I think I'm gonna barf."

"Deep breaths, pal," urged Toby as he and Cabe walked over to the younger genius' desk.

"What the hell?" asked Cabe, peering closely at the pictures on the screen. "I'm no doc, Doc, but shouldn't a guy who died from being shot through the heart have a bullet sized hole in his chest?"

Toby narrowed his eyes and looked at the photos. There was clear evidence that the autopsy had taken place, but definitely no evidence to support the official cause of death.

"I guess this explains why the photos weren't in the official report," said Sly, closing his eyes and desperately trying to erase the images from his mind.

"A cover-up," stated Toby, flatly. "Or incompetence," he added. "But I'm going with cover-up. Where did you find these, Sly?"

"In an encrypted email from the ME's office to County Lifeguard HQ," replied Sylvester. "I don't think I'll ever be able to sleep again."

"So we've gone from no suspects to four," Happy pointed out. "The ex-wife, her new squeeze and the sender and recipient of that email."

"I guess I need to pay a visit to the morgue," noted Toby. "Darlin', you with me?"

"I'd rather chew my own toenails off," replied Happy in disgust. "I'll give Kimberley a call instead, see if she can dish any dirt on her co-workers."

"Y'know, in a couple months you won't even be able to reach your own toenails," noted Toby with a wicked grin. Happy picked up the nearest oily rag and threw it at him, but Toby quickly ducked out of the way.

"The morgue is no place for a pregnant lady anyway," added Cabe.

Only Cabe could get away with statement like that and Happy was particularly willing to overlook it if it got her out of visiting the morgue.

"Sly?" asked Toby, knowing full well that he had more chance of getting his wife to accompany him than he did Sylvester.

Sylvester swallowed hard, still visibly shaken by the images he'd seen. "You and Cabe can go," he said. "You might need me to back you up from here. I assume you'll be entering under false pretences?"

"Well Cabe's Homeland I.D. should get him in," replied Toby. "But I'm gonna need my amazing wife to knock me up something. Seems only fair, after I knocked her up, right?"

"Only took you two years, Doc," sneered Happy, with just a hint of a twinkle in her eye. "But if it's I.D. you want, give me twenty minutes."

 _To be continued..._


	6. Chapter 6 - Clues and Suspects

**The team continue the homicide investigation, but Paige and Walter have their minds on other things.**

 ** _(Thank you, again, to everyone who is reading this story. Your kind reviews make my day. I hope you enjoy this chapter.)_**

 **CHAPTER 6.**

"Brandon? Seriously? Do I _look_ like a Brandon?" Toby sneered at his fake I.D. in disgust.

"What's wrong with Brandon, Doc?" asked Cabe. "Got you past the security desk, didn't it?"

"What was my beautiful wife thinking?" Toby continued to moan as they walked along the long, white corridor. "Homeland Agent Doctor Brandon West. Was that _really_ the first name that leapt into her head?"

"My foot'll be leaping into your ass if you don't shut up," replied Cabe. "C'mon, let's get you a look at this dead guy and get outta here. These places give me the creeps."

Toby nodded. "This is the room," he said and he opened the door. "According to the guy on the front desk we're looking for number twenty seven."

"He was pretty quick to give up the info we needed," noted Cabe.

"I had him eating out of my hand," agreed Toby with a grin. "Five more minutes and I'd have had all his online passwords, his social security number and his favourite sexual position."

Cabe screwed up his nose in disgust. "You always have to make it weird," he said. Then he became more sombre. "This looks like the one," he said, pointing at the label just above one of the handles that lined the walls of the sterile room. He slowly opened the long metal drawer to reveal a body covered in a white sheet.

Toby grabbed a pair of examination gloves from a box on the side as Cabe pulled back the sheet to reveal the stony grey remains of the man they'd met at the beach only two days ago.

"Definitely no bullet wound," confirmed Toby. "In fact..." he trailed off and carefully moved the man's head to one side. "There's your cause of death," he said pointing to the deep red lines across his throat. "Significant tissue damage, evidence of excessive pressure on the pharynx and larynx. This guy was strangled."

Cabe swallowed hard and peered at the body. "Kinda hard to miss," he noted. "Are you there, Sly?"

"I'm actually going to take out my comm now 'coz I have a bad feeling Toby's going to start talking about... bodily fluids," came Sylvester's reply.

"Some of my best anecdotes are about bodily fluids!" objected Toby and Cabe rolled his eyes.

Toby continued his examination, giving Cabe a running commentary on his findings as he worked and being careful not to disturb any evidence. Cabe turned away after a few minutes and Toby glanced up at him. "Almost done," he said. "You OK?"

"Sure," replied Cabe. "Not the first dead body I've seen," he noted.

"Makes y'think though, right?" continued Toby. "About your own life, where it's headed, what you want to do with the rest of your time on this planet, that kinda thing."

Cabe looked over his shoulder at the younger man and frowned. "I'll tell you what I don't wanna do," he said. "That's have a deep 'n' meaningful with you while you're scraping dirt from under the fingernails of a dead guy."

Toby shrugged as he put the evidence he had collected into a specimen container. "Maybe later then?" he offered.

"Did Allie put you up to this?" asked Cabe, folding his arms across his chest and turning away again.

"Up to what?" asked Toby innocently as he continued to work.

"I dunno, Doc," replied Cabe. "I've just had the feeling lately that Allie's... well… she's acting like she wants to tell me something. I guess I'm just..." he trailed off and sighed.

"You're scared she's going to leave you for a guy with less miles on the clock," Toby finished.

Cabe spun round again and glared at him. "I hate it when you're right," he snapped.

"Relax," Toby urged. "As much as it churns my stomach, she's actually still as crazy about you as ever. Some women just have a thing for much, _much_ older guys."

"Shut it," growled Cabe.

"Why don't you ask her if there's anything she wants to talk to you about?" suggested Toby.

Cabe shook his head. "Walt may have gotten good at this communication thing with Paige, but I'm too stuck in my ways to start asking my girl that kind of question. She'll wonder what the heck's got into me."

"Or she'll appreciate that you've gone out of your comfort zone to see if she's OK."

"Hmmm, I'll think about it. Are you done yet?"

"Almost. I just want to take a couple photos and then I'll go talk to our friend at the front desk again, see if we can't figure out who might have sent that encrypted email."

"Sly, you back with us, pal?" asked Cabe, pressing a finger to his ear.

"Only if Toby promises not to say anything that might make me puke," replied Sylvester over the comm.

"You really know how to take the fun out of my day," protested Toby.

"I think it's over," confirmed Cabe. "So, did you get anything new from that email you intercepted?"

"Only that it was sent from a generic account," replied Sylvester. "No way of knowing from this end who sent it. Toby'll have to go and... y'know... _Toby_ them to find out who's covering up evidence and why."

"On it," replied Toby.

"The Doc and I are gonna go make a nuisance of ourselves," agreed Cabe.

"Mess with a few heads," added Toby. "Listen out for names, Sly. Run background checks as we're talking, I'll take any intel you can give me."

Cabe nodded. "Someone here must know what the hell's going on."

XxXxXxXxX

"Why are we doing this again?" Patty stood with one hand on her hip. She was holding a jar of sand in the other hand and she squinted in the sunlight as the waves gently lapped over her toes.

"Not entirely sure," responded Ralph, waving a small fishing net in the air. "The text I got from Walter just said ' _Victim was environmental campaigner. Please go to beach and collect samples. Please and thank you._ ' That's all."

"Two pleases and a thank you," noted Patty with a smile. "Still can't get over Walter being so nice to everyone all the time."

"He's not going to risk pissing anyone off ever again after what happened last year," grinned Ralph. "At least, not anyone in the team," he added. Walter still had a habit of upsetting the occasional waitress, client, or bank teller every now and again, but as that didn't seem to bother his mother as much as it used to, Ralph figured it was OK.

"So what do you think about moving in with Walter?" asked Patty as she filled another jar with seawater.

Ralph's face lit up with joy as he answered. "It's the best thing ever," he said. "We'll finally be a proper family. Not that every family has to have a mom and a dad, of course, but Walter's practically been my dad for, like, four or five years now so it seems dumb that he lives at the garage and we still live at our place."

"Didn't you want to go with them this afternoon?" Patty queried. "Check out these places yourself?"

"As long as we're together and there's room to set up my telescope, I don't mind where we live," replied Ralph.

"And room for a bed," added Patty. "Jeez, you geniuses really need to get your priorities sorted."

Ralph laughed. "Let's head over to those rocks and collect some seaweed," he suggested. "Walter wasn't specific about exactly what he wanted samples of so we'll take back as much as we can."

"This is exciting," grinned Patty.

"Seaweed?"

"No, playing detective," explained Patty as she followed Ralph across the beach. "Finding clues, gathering evidence, interrogating suspects. I wish I could've gone with Toby and Cabe to the morgue."

Ralph spun on his heels and stared at her. "You wanted to go to the morgue?" He queried.

"Sure," replied Patty with a grin. "I mean, I know it's kinda gross, being full of dead bodies and all, but autopsy reports are fascinating."

Ralph was a little taken aback. "You... you wanna see an autopsy?"

"No!" exclaimed Patty. "But I love reading the reports. They state the facts without any hint of bias at all. Takes a lot of skill to write objectively, but still get your point across. That's why I'm majoring in journalism, with a minor in psychology. The best journalists understand people, it's not all about being the first to break a big story."

"I can't believe you're leaving for college soon," he said. His childhood crush on Patty may have faded, but he still had a lot of feelings for her and he was really going to miss her.

"I'll only be gone for a few months of the year," replied Patty. "And I've already lined up a three month work placement at the LA Times for my second year so you won't be getting rid of me that easily. Now come on, let's get this seaweed and maybe we can pick up some milkshakes on the way home."

xXxXxXxXxXx

"Got it! Daniel Sametti, ex-military medic, give me a second and I'll… oh." Sylvester's face fell into a frown as he frantically tapped the keys on his keyboard. "Keep him talking, Toby, there's something odd about this guy's record… no, wait, I can't get past the security… it's maximum level… we're going to need Walter on this."

"Get outta there, Doc," said Happy, with one finger on her comm. "If this is our guy he might get suspicious."

Sylvester was still desperately trying to hack into the military records of the man Toby had been talking to at the morgue when he heard a voice and looked up to see Kimberley, the young lifeguard, walk into the garage.

"I've been trying to call you," said Happy, getting to her feet to greet their visitor.

"I know," replied Kimberley, a little taken aback by Happy's direct manner. "I'm sorry, I switched off my cell. I didn't really want to talk to anyone today, but then I saw the missed calls and I thought you might have some news, so I stopped by."

"No news, I'm afraid," replied Sylvester apologetically. "We were just wondering if you could think of any of your co-workers who might have a reason to… y'know… hurt Charlie. Anyone with a grudge, maybe?"

"You think it was one of us?" exclaimed Kimberly. Her bottom lip began to tremble. "No, no, it couldn't be!"

Sylvester leapt up from his seat and hurried towards her. "Please… please don't be upset," he urged. "We can talk about this another time. Come and sit down. Can I get you anything? I find chamomile tea very calming."

"Thank you, I'd like that," smiled Kimberley as Sylvester walked her over to the couch. "I don't feel very calm at all right now. I've spent all morning just walking around, I figured it might clear my head, but I just keep thinking about Charlie and…"

"Grief can be overwhelming sometimes," said Sylvester, tenderly. "I promise you, it does get easier."

"Sounds like you're speaking from experience," noted Kimberley.

"My wife passed three years ago," Sylvester explained. He paused as memories of Megan flooded his thoughts. It had taken a long time for him to be able to talk about her so openly, but he felt more comfortable with it now than he ever had before. It had been a struggle with his eidetic memory, but he had had learnt how to push the sad times to the back of his mind and remember all the good times they'd shared.

"Your wife? Oh, I'm so sorry," Kimberley responded, her eyes filled with sadness. "Listen to me, going on about Charlie. He was just someone I worked with. You lost your wife."

Sylvester patted her arm in a soothing gesture. "You knew him a long time, you cared about him," he said. "You miss him. Your loss is different, but just as raw. No need to apologise."

Kimberley smiled. "You're very kind," she said and Sylvester blushed a little.

"I'll… I'll just go make that tea," he said and he rushed off towards the kitchen.

Happy couldn't help but notice Kimberley watching him go and she smiled to herself as she recognised the look on her face, remembering how she used to watch Toby in exactly the same way when she first began to realise that she had feelings for him.

"I'm sorry I missed your calls," said Kimberley, snapping Happy out of her thoughts.

"Oh, no problem," Happy answered her with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Turns out catching a killer ain't as easy as it looks on TV."

Kimberley laughed lightly, but her smile soon faded. "I don't think Charlie had any enemies," she said. "Unless you count Captain Sanders, but he's everyone's enemy."

"Sanders?" repeated Happy, narrowing her eyes as she tried to recall the personnel files she'd been reading that morning. "He's new, right?"

Kimberley nodded. "Transferred to us about five months ago," she explained. "I don't know what we did to deserve him? He thinks he's running a prison, not a lifeguard station. I guess that's one of the reasons Charlie decided to work less shifts these past few months. They really didn't get along… but Sanders is just an asshole, not a murderer."

"Murderers are usually assholes," Happy pointed out.

Just then Sylvester returned with a steaming mug of tea for Kimberley. "Here," he said as he handed it to her.

"You're so nice… I mean, you people are all so nice," she smiled as she took the tea from him. "I really appreciate everything you're doing."

"I can see that," replied Happy, knowingly.

Toby's voice came over the comm. "Ooh, I think you're onto something there, Sugarplum."

Happy sniggered, but Sylvester looked bemused.

"We're on our way back now," came Cabe's voice. "The Doc wants to run tests on these samples."

"I don't want to know!" exclaimed Sylvester and clamped his hands to the side of his head, momentarily forgetting that, as the comm was _in_ his ear, it wouldn't make any difference.

Kimberley looked uncomfortably from Sylvester to Happy. "Know what?" she asked. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Oh, I wasn't talking to you," Sylvester tried to explain. "I was talking to…" he trailed off and pointed to his ear.

"You were talking to the side of your head?" queried Kimberley.

Happy giggled. If Sylvester wasn't careful Kimberley's feelings towards him were going to change pretty quickly, she realised.

"No, no, no," replied Sylvester, shaking his head rapidly. "I was talking to my friend. He's in my ear. That is, um, I can hear him talking in my ear, obviously he's not actually in there." He sighed, realising he was getting flustered. "Look," he said and he removed the tiny comm unit from his ear and held it out in his palm.

"Oh, I see," she said, giggling.

Sylvester laughed too and for a brief moment they held each other's gaze before he looked away.

Just then Paige and Walter arrived back at the garage. They entered in silence and Happy and Sylvester exchanged a worried glance.

"How did it go?" asked Happy.

"Fine," replied Walter, bluntly, but it was obvious to everyone that things had not gone well.

"Paige? You OK?" Sylvester spoke nervously.

"Huh?" Paige looked up at him. "Oh, yes, I'm fine," she responded.

Sylvester let out a slow breath. Paige and Walter rarely fought these days, but when they did it put the whole team on edge. "Kimberley's here," he said, desperately trying to deflect from whatever had happened. "And… and I need your help, Walter, with getting into some military files. I've emailed you the details."

"Now that's something I _can_ do," snapped Walter and he glared at Paige as he marched across the garage to his desk.

Paige deliberately ignored him and walked over to Kimberley. "Hi," she said. "How are you holding up?"

"OK, I guess," replied the younger woman. "Sylvester made me this tea," she added, holding up her mug.

"Sly's a very caring man," replied Paige. "Always considering others' feelings. I wish all guys were like that."

Kimberley nodded awkwardly. She'd picked up the tension in the room and she suddenly had the urge to leave. "So, I guess I should…. um… I should go now," she said and she put the mug down on the table before standing up. "Thank you for the tea," she added and she flashed Sylvester a smile before racing out of the garage.

"OK, so which one of you is gonna spill?" demanded Happy when the door had closed behind her.

"I'll leave that to the genius," retorted Paige.

"C'mon, you guys," said Sylvester. "I'm feeling really, really uncomfortable right now, so I'm just going to walk away and leave you to fix whatever this is." He hurried away as fast as he could.

Walter stopped working at his computer and frowned at Paige. "There's nothing to fix," he snapped.

Paige frowned. "You didn't have one nice thing to say about any of the places we viewed," she grumbled.

"I didn't like any of them," replied Walter, flatly.

Now it was Happy's turn to walk away. "If you think I'm playing referee then you're wrong," she said. "Cabe and Toby are on their way back and we have a homicide to solve. So you have ten minutes to figure this out."

Walter stood up from his desk and walked back to join Paige on the couch. He sat beside her and pulled her hand into his. She tried to resist, but realised that his touch was calming and instead of pushing him away she moved closer. "I don't want to fight with you, Paige," he said, all the irritation in his voice gone now.

"I don't want to fight either," Paige replied. "But if we can't agree on where we want to live…" she trailed off for a moment, taking a deep breath to steady her thoughts. "I guess we should sit down and create that spreadsheet after all. I'm sorry I wasn't more enthusiastic about it when you mentioned it earlier."

"And I'm sorry I wasn't more enthusiastic about that godawful place with the tiny bathroom," he said.

Paige laughed. "The bathroom was kinda small," she agreed. "We'll find somewhere," she added with a smile. "I guess I was just hoping we'd find a place today. I don't want to wait any longer than I have to before we can be together."

Walter nodded and smiled. "I am impatient too," he agreed and then, he leaned in and kissed her. Paige gasped as his lips brushed hers, but she put up no resistance and the kiss deepened. For a moment they were lost in each other. "Shall we go upstairs," he whispered.

"We can't," she breathed, running her fingers through his hair. "Sly and Happy… and the others are coming back…"

Walter sighed and pressed his forehead against hers. "Then later," he said, realising reluctantly that she was right. "I love you."

"I love you too, Walter. So much," she replied. "And I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

 _To be continued…_


	7. Chapter 7 - Come To Bed

**It's the end of a long day and everyone's ready for bed.**

 ** _(I'm not going to apologise for the unashamed fluff in this chapter - I enjoyed writing it, I hope you enjoy reading it too. Thank you to everyone for continuing to follow this story and for your kind reviews!)_**

 **CHAPTER 7.**

"Come to bed, Cabe."

"My four favourite words," replied Cabe with a wink. He walked across the bedroom, stripping off his white t-shirt and discarding it on the floor as he did so.

Allie watched his every move and couldn't help smiling to herself as he exposed his well-toned, tattooed chest. He had a great body for a sixty year old, she acknowledged. Heck, he had a great body for a man of any age.

Cabe caught her staring and he frowned slightly. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Do I need to I comb my hair."

Allie giggled and shook her head. "Your hair is perfect, as always," she replied. "I didn't mean to stare. I think I was…" she paused and blushed slightly. "I think I was objectifying you. I'm sorry."

Cabe chuckled and climbed into bed beside her. "I think you're allowed to when you're my girl," he replied. He leaned over and kissed her and she lifted her head from the pillow to greet his lips. He ran his fingers through her hair as the kiss intensified and Allie grasped his strong bicep to steady herself. She moaned softly and her whole body began to tingle with anticipation.

Allie slipped her arm around his waist and pulled herself closer to him. For a brief moment, Cabe responded, moving his free hand to her thigh and she moaned again, but then he broke away and pushed himself up into a sitting position. "OK, so what's gotten into you?" he asked.

Allie whimpered, but could offer no reply.

"Don't get me wrong," continued Cabe, stroking the side of her face tenderly as he spoke. "I sure ain't complaining, but this ain't like you."

"I... I just..." Allie began. "I've been lying here waiting... waiting for you and... and..." She trailed off, knowing she didn't sound particularly convincing.

"But you like it when we take things slow," noted Cabe with another wink. "Have you been reading one of those trashy novels again?"

"I don't read trashy novels!" Allie objected, finally finding her voice. She sighed with a combination of disappointment and frustration.

"I'm kidding," insisted Cabe. "Hey, listen, I'm all for getting down to some sweet lovin' tonight, but..." he hesitated and smiled warmly at her. He was now certain that something was bothering Allie, but part of him was nervous about what it might be. Remembering his chat with Toby he took a quick breath and decided to push through his discomfort. "Is there... is there something on your mind? Something you wanna, y'know, talk about?"

Allie's eyes widened in surprise at his perceptiveness. "Um, um, I guess there is," she replied.

"Well I'm all ears."

Allie smiled and slipped her hand into his. She gripped tightly and pulled herself further up onto the pillows. "I know you've been thinking about Amanda a lot lately," she began. "I know you miss her."

Cabe's expression changed. His eyes filled with sadness as he recalled the pain of losing his daughter. "Every day," he admitted.

"She was lucky to have you as a father," smiled Allie. "I see the way you are with Walter and with Ralph and the others and I'm so proud of you. They listen to you, they respect you."

Cabe shrugged, a little embarrassed at her words. "Where are you headed with this exactly?" he asked.

Allie looked away from him, deciding it might be easier to say what she wanted to say without looking him in the eye, just in case his response wasn't what she was hoping for. However, she still clutched his hand tightly.

"You and I... this is the first relationship I've ever had where I've wondered what it might be like," she began. "To have kids, I mean. Now before you panic, I don't want a baby. I know it's not impossible at my age, but that's not what I want, never has been, it's just that I think about us now, where we are in our lives and what we could offer to a kid who needs a family."

She turned her head back towards Cabe before continuing.

"A few years ago I looked into fostering," she explained. "I had all the papers, went to the interviews, I was all set to go, but... I don't know... I guess I realised it wasn't something I wanted to do on my own. But now... now here we are... you and me and..."

"And now you figure we could take in a foster kid or two for a while and maybe do something make their lives better," Cabe finished her sentence for her. He certainly hadn't expected this. Of all the things he'd been worrying that it could be, this hadn't been on his radar. Not even close. He wasn't really sure how to answer her for now. He drew a long, slow breath.

Allie took a moment to breathe too. "I love you," she said, eventually. "And I love the life we have and our family, but..."

"Hey," said Cabe. "This is a big deal, I'm not gonna lie. It's not something I've ever considered and… and that doesn't mean I don't think it's a good idea, I just… I'm not sure what to say right now."

Allie reached out and cupped the side of his face in her hand. "I understand," she said. "I'm not expecting an answer right now. We need to talk about it."

"Why don't we talk about it in the morning?" suggested Cabe with a smile. He leaned in and captured her lips in a tender kiss. "If I remember right we were kinda headed somewhere a moment ago," he reminded her in a low, gravelly voice.

"Mmmm," she agreed, responding to his kiss. "I love you, Cabe Gallo."

"Oh, Alllie," Cabe answered in a low, gravelly voice. "I love you too."

xXxXxXxXx

"Come to bed, Walter."

"I'm sorry, my love," replied Walter from his desk. "It took longer than I thought to hack into that doctor's military files. Toby seems convinced this guy's the one who faked the autopsy report and I think he could be right."

"There must be something in those files that someone doesn't want anyone to find out," noted Paige.

"Agreed," nodded Walter. "The redacted parts contain details of a mission to Afghanistan fourteen years ago, but it means nothing to me. I'll get Cabe to take a look, he might know something. I'll be with you in five minutes."

"OK, but hurry up," said Paige, impatiently.

"Four minutes and thirty one seconds," replied Walter without looking up from his computer.

They'd set up their house-hunting spreadsheet after dinner and although she felt more relaxed now they'd finally talked openly about what they wanted from their new home, she had hoped their evening would have ended in bed, but instead Walter had decided to work on the casefiles Sylvester had sent him.

"I don't know if I can wait that long," said Paige. "I need you, Walter. I want you."

As much as Walter's EQ skills had improved in the last year, Paige realised that it was still unfair of her to expect him to understand her thoughts and feelings and desires unless she communicated them to him.

Walter immediately recognised that tone of voice and he slowly turned around. He swallowed hard when he realised she was wearing a silk negligee – he hadn't even noticed her getting changed and he could have kicked himself for not paying attention. "Oh… oh my…" His face flushed red and he quickly crossed the loft to join her. "You look… amazing."

Paige rolled onto her back and smiled at him. Her tousled hair splayed out across the pillow and the bed sheet slipped down to reveal the outfit in all its lace glory. "Thank you, Walter," she replied, coyly. "But it's kinda lonely in here."

Walter hurriedly undressed and joined her in the bed. "I can't wait until we can do this every night," he said and he carefully rolled her on top of him and tugged at the hem of her negligee.

"Me neither," replied Paige and their lips met in a passionate kiss. "Walter, I love you so much," she breathed.

"Reciprocated," he panted.

It used to bother Paige that Walter rarely said 'I love you', but she had come to learn that Walter's sparing use of the L-word only made the times he did use it even more special. She knew he loved her, he demonstrated it every day and she didn't need to hear him say it. Suddenly her eyes filled with tears.

Walter immediately broke away and looked at her with horror. "Paige!" he exclaimed. "W…why are you crying? W…what have I done?" He gently rolled her back over and sat up, slipping his hand into hers and squeezing tightly.

Paige smiled through her tears. "You haven't done anything wrong," she insisted. "These are happy tears. Oh, Walter. A year ago I never thought we could have this again. We came so close to losing it all."

"I know, I know," replied Walter, wiping the tears from her cheek with his thumb. "But… but that's all behind us now… isn't it?"

"Yes," replied Paige, nodding emphatically. "Now we have the rest of our lives to look forward to. Together. I don't think I've ever been this happy, I hope you understand that because I can't really put it into words."

"You've never been...?" Walter repeated with just a hint of doubt in his voice. He was getting more and more used to her displays of emotion and he was much better at interpreting them now than he used to be, but seeing her cry always perturbed him.

"Yes!" exclaimed Paige. "God, yes! You don't believe me?"

"I… I…"

"I'll show you," replied Paige. She drew her lower lip in between her teeth seductively and pushed Walter back down onto the pillows. Her hair fell over her shoulders as she leaned in to kiss him again. "I'll show you just how happy I am right now. Buckle up, nerd."

XxXxXxXxXx

"Come to bed, sugarplum!"

Silence.

Toby frowned. His wife had been a long time in the bathroom and it wasn't like her. "Hap? You OK in there?" he called out.

"Yeah… yeah… um…"

Toby flew out of bed. He could tell immediately from the sound of her voice that something was wrong. "Happy!" he exclaimed as he burst through the bathroom door.

Happy was leaning over the basin with her head resting on her folded arms. "I'm OK," she insisted. "Just a little…. um, lightheaded, I guess."

"Lightheaded!" Toby exclaimed. He grasped her shoulders and slowly turned her around to face him. "You could be anaemic, or your blood pressure could be low. Let's get you into bed." Before she could protest he scooped her up into his arms and carried her back into the bedroom.

"Put me down, you bozo!" Happy snapped at him.

"There, you're down," Toby replied as he gently lowered her onto the pillows. Then his face became serious. "Why didn't you tell me about this?" he asked, checking the pulse in her wrist as he spoke. "Don't move, darlin', I'm getting my med bag."

"I'll be fine in a minute," Happy called after him. "I… I feel better already!"

"Oh, lying to your world class behaviourist husband, huh?" Toby called back. "That'll work."

Happy sighed. She knew Toby must already have picked up how anxious she was. She usually hated being fussed over, but this time she was more than willing to let Toby do whatever he needed to do to put her mind at rest that there was nothing wrong with the baby.

Toby quickly returned with his medical bag. He sat on the edge of the bed and set about checking Happy's blood pressure. "Any other symptoms you're not telling me about?" he asked as he waited for the machine to register.

Happy shook her head. "It only started this evening," she said. "I figured it would pass."

"You're _pregnant_ ," Toby said, as if she needed reminding. "Don't try to hide things from me." He checked the readout. "There, what did I tell you? You BP is low."

"What… what does that mean? Is the baby OK?" she asked with a worried expression.

Toby ran his hands over her swollen abdomen and just as he did so the baby kicked. He grinned broadly and Happy smiled. Neither of them would ever get over how wonderful it felt to know their baby was growing inside her, making his or her presence known and getting ready to be welcomed into the world.

"I'd say Baby Quintis is fine," he tried to reassure her. "But this is a sign that you're doing too much. You've gotta take care of yourself, lovebug."

"But I didn't do anything strenuous today," whined Happy. "I was sitting at my desk doing research on our suspects for most of the day. Then Kimberley stopped by and we talked for a while, that's all."

Toby tenderly brushed a stray hair from her face. "No one said being pregnant was easy," he pointed out. "Your body is making a _person_ , that's the most incredible thing you can do, but it's tough. It won't be long before our baby is actually _here_ , but right now you need to rest, get that blood pressure back to normal. I don't want you getting out of bed for twenty four hours."

"Twenty four hours!" exclaimed Happy.

"Doctor's orders."

"The doctor is a jerk."

"Hey! Is that any way to treat the man who put this bun in your oven against all the odds?" asked Toby, feigning offence.

"You don't need to remind me how this is all your fault," retorted Happy, supressing a smile. "OK, OK, I'll rest," she reluctantly agreed.

Being pregnant was much harder than she ever imagined it would be. She was always tired, occasionally still a little nauseous and she had to pee all the time. None of her clothes fitted her anymore and she was always the one to stay behind when the rest of the team raced off on their next dangerous case. The frustration was starting to drive her crazy and now she was being forced to stay in bed, but Happy only had to think about why she was putting herself through all of this and the frustration melted away.

"Good," replied Toby. "I'll check your blood pressure again in an hour. Should be back to normal by then."

Happy nodded. She pulled Toby's hand into her own and squeezed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Doc," she said. "I still can't get used to feeling so… so…"

"Vulnerable?" Toby offered.

"Yeah," agreed Happy with a nod. "When I was a kid, I never dreamed about having kids of my own. I didn't play with dolls, I didn't play any of those dumb games, I didn't think about it at all… until I met you."

Toby leaned over and kissed her gently on the forehead. "And soon we're going to have three little ankle-biters running around Quintis Towers," he said, smiling as he thought about how much their lives were going to change once the twins were finally theirs and their new baby was born. "So you should make the most of this downtime because when you're a mom of three you'll probably never get a good night's sleep again."

Happy nodded slowly. Part of her still couldn't quite believe she was pregnant. Her dream of becoming a mother, of having someone to wait outside the school gates for, was just a few short months away from coming true and sometimes the anticipation was almost too much to bear.

"Now, close those beautiful eyes," ordered Toby. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead again. "Sweet dreams."

He tried to release his hand from her grasp, but she wouldn't let him go. "Tell me about the baby," she said, her eyelids drifting shut.

Toby smiled, he knew exactly what she wanted to hear. "You're twenty weeks now, so Baby Quintis is kinda the size of a pomegranate and this week he or she's been busy growing hair!"

"I hope Baby Quintis doesn't get your dumbass curly hair," Happy mumbled, opening one eye. Truth was Toby's hair was one of her favourite things about him. As much as she loved it when he wore his hat, she loved it even more when he took it off to reveal his thick curls. Of course she would never admit that to him. "And if this kid comes out wearing a stupid fedora I'm sending it back," she added.

Toby pulled a sulky face. "I know you love the hat really," he said.

"Hmmm," retorted Happy, but then her expression softened and her eyes closed again. "Tell me something else," she said with a smile.

"OK, well, right now Baby Quintis can probably hear us because the brain is developing sensory awareness," continued Toby. "Which means I need to sing more!"

Happy opened her eyes again and looked at him with disdain, but she was smiling inside. "Maybe I'll just turn the radio on when I'm working instead?" she suggested.

Toby smiled warmly at her. He could see how tired she was and he delicately caressed the side of her face. "We'll talk more in the morning. Now sleep," he said softly and he planted another lingering kiss on her forehead. Then he climbed into bed beside her, setting his alarm for regular intervals so he could check on her through the night.

"I love you, you stupid moron," she whispered sleepily.

Toby couldn't help but smile at the uniquely Happy-style term of endearment. "Love you too, sugarpuff," he replied. He switched off the light and rolled onto his side to watch her sleep, but it wasn't long before his own eyes became heavy.

It couldn't have been more than half an hour before they were both awoken by frantic knocking at their door. "What the hell?" said Happy, sitting bolt upright in bed.

"Stay there!" Toby ordered as he quickly pulled on the Harvard t-shirt he'd thrown over a chair earlier. He ran to the door and opened it to find Ray standing there with a middle aged woman he didn't recognise. Toby looked at Ray for an explanation.

"Relax, Terry," urged Ray, pushing past Toby and guiding the woman towards the couch. "I found this lady outside the garage."

"And why were _you_ hanging around the garage in the dark, Ray?" Toby asked suspiciously.

"Where else am I gonna go?" shrugged Ray. "Anyway, the light was on in the loft but no-one came to the door so I figured Wally and Pam were probably getting hot 'n' steamy up there again. Decided to bring my new lady friend here instead."

"I've just met you," retorted the woman. "I wouldn't exactly say we're friends."

Ray grinned at her. "Ray is everyone's friend!" he replied, throwing his arms wide in a gesture of geniality.

"I'm sorry, but who are you exactly," Toby asked the woman with a puzzled frown on his face.

Before she had a chance to respond, Ray jumped in. "She's got a kooky tale to tell, so I figured you could do some of your voodoo on her."

"Voodoo?" Toby repeated incredulously.

"Y'know, figure out if she's lying or not," Ray explained.

"I'm not lying!" exclaimed the woman.

"Tell him what you told me," prompted Ray.

"I'm Kaye Snyder," she explained. "I understand your team is helping with the investigation into my ex-husband's murder. Well, I think I can save you a lot of time and trouble. I know exactly who killed him."

 _To be continued..._


	8. Chapter 8 - Good News

**The mystery deepens, Walter shows how much he's learnt about being a good boyfriend and Happy has a talk with Patrick.**

 ** _Thank you for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoy this chapter, I appreciate all your comments._**

 **CHAPTER 8.**

"The new lifeguard Captain? Are you sure?" Walter had been surprised to get Toby's call so early in the morning and now he, Toby, Sylvester and Cabe were at the garage discussing the new development as the sun rose over the city. Paige was still asleep.

"Was the ex-wife telling the truth?" Cabe asked Toby. Kaye had gone to a hotel after leaving Toby and Happy's apartment, but she was due at the garage within the hour.

Toby nodded. "I didn't pick up on any deception markers," he replied. "She told me she discovered her current significant other – you remember the creepy looking guy from the photo - had been emailing Captain Sanders. Mr Creepy didn't like the fact she was back in touch with Charlie so she figured he was engaging in some extra-curricular hanky-panky with her potential replacement and she read the emails. Turns out he was just talking to a lifeguard captain about seaweed."

"Seaweed?" repeated Sylvester.

"Apparently it's dying," replied Toby with a shrug. "Kaye didn't know who Sanders was until she did some digging and realised he was her ex-husband's new boss. Then when Charlie was murdered she put two and two together and figured secret emails equals a killer captain, but I already profiled the guy. Ex-prison officer, his record's cleaner than Sly's hands. He's authoritarian, a stickler for the rules, never even had so much as a speeding ticket. There's no way he's our killer."

"What does dying seaweed have to do with our dead lifeguard?" asked Cabe.

"No idea, unless he was strangled with it," admitted Toby. "Which he wasn't."

"What about motive?" asked Walter. "And what does Kaye think her boyfriend's involvement is?"

"Well that's where her theory hits the buffers," replied Toby. "She has no idea on motive, but I guess we need to check out this seaweed. And she insists Mr Creepy is innocent."

"Those emails he sent were about a potential environment catastrophe," Sylvester pointed out. "No reason to keep them secret from her, especially considering she's a marine biologist. All very suspicious."

"Keeping secrets from your girlfriend is… is a really, really bad idea," noted Walter, dryly.

"And you should know, One Ninety Seven," said Toby with a knowing wink.

"Indeed," agreed Walter. "Sly, you can look into the seaweed story. Ralph and Patty collected samples from the beach, we'll start running some tests."

"Why did Kaye Snyder drive all the way here in the middle of the night to tell us this?" asked Sylvester.

"She's scared," explained Toby. "She didn't say as much, but she figures she might be next if Sanders finds out she's the one pointing the finger. That's why she didn't go to the cops."

"So we've got a guy keeping emails secret for no obvious reason," Cabe stated, running through the list of suspects in his head. "And a straight-up lifeguard captain with no motive."

"Plus a doctor with a redacted military record who covered up the real cause of death," added Toby.

"And Kaye is still a suspect," added Sylvester. "I've seen this movie, the ex-wife is always a suspect."

"I'm not sure which movie you're referring to, but I agree," replied Walter. "We have a lot to cover today."

"Let me know what you find out," said Sylvester and he ran over to his desk and picked up his bag. "I have an appointment."

"What kind of appointment," asked Walter with a frown of annoyance. "I need you here today."

"We're trying to solve a homicide, kid," Cabe reminded him.

"I know and... and I'm sorry," replied Sylvester. "But this is a very important appointment."

Toby darted in front of him and blocked his exit route. "What are you up to?" he asked narrowing his eyes.

Sylvester deftly sidestepped him, desperately trying to avoid making eye contact. "Can't a guy have any privacy?" he grumbled.

"Not around here," replied Toby with a grin.

"Leave the kid alone, Doc," Cabe scolded him as Sylvester finally made it out of the door. "We need to check out Kaye's story."

Walter paused for a moment to think. "Toby, I know you've profiled the captain, but you might get more out of meeting him."

"Time for Homeland Agent Doctor Brandon West to pay another house-call," grinned Toby.

"I'll come with you," said Cabe. "I think I want to meet this Sanders guy. Could be finger lickin' good," he added with a grin.

Toby snickered and offered Cabe a high-five. "You beat me to it, old man!"

Walter gave them a puzzled frown. "I don't understand?"

"Colonel Sanders!" Cabe and Toby chorused in unison.

"It's Captain Sanders," Walter corrected with a confused expression on his face.

Toby was about to make a fried chicken pun to further confound Walter when the familiar 'Atta Boy' ring tone sounded from his phone. "I'd better get this," he said and he pulled the phone from his back pocket. "Hey, darlin', how are…" but he was interrupted by his wife.

"I don't need a babysitter!" she yelled down the phone. It was loud enough for Cabe and Walter to hear and they exchanged an amused glance.

"Now, Lovebug, calm down," urged Toby. "This isn't the best way to fix your blood pressure. I asked your dad to come over and keep you company because I know you'll be bored stuck at home today. That's all."

"Bullcrap!"

"Er, Honeybunch, remember we talked yesterday about how Baby Quintis can hear you now…"

"Good!" screamed Happy. "Baby Quintis needs to learn what a jackass his dad is!"

"Don't worry, kid," Cabe called out loud enough so she could hear him. "The little nipper'll learn that soon enough, I'll make sure of it!"

xXxXxXxXxXxX

"Good morning, my love."

Paige ran her fingers through her unruly hair and squinted at Walter as she descended the ramp from the loft. "Morning? Why didn't you wake me? It's almost afternoon!"

"There's almost an hour before the afternoon begins and I didn't want to disturb you," replied Walter, greeting her with a kiss. "Last night was special, wasn't it," he added with a coy smile and he kissed her again, gently brushing the side of her face with his fingertips as their lips met.

One of the things Walter had learnt over the last year was that Paige often needed reassurance – not as much as she used to, but he'd found that a few 'morning after' compliments were always appreciated. After their first night together he had made the mistake of not responding to her plea for reassurance – not intentionally, but it had been one of the many factors that had culminated in their relationship almost ending for good. It wasn't difficult anymore for him to find the right adjectives to describe the way their intimacy made him feel and he always meant every single word.

Paige wrapped her arms around him and buried her head into his shoulder. "It was," she whispered. "I can't wait until we can spend every night together in our own home, in our own bed."

"I agree," he responded, squeezing her gently. "We'll find a place soon, my love. Our home." Those words felt strangely soothing to him. His childhood home in Ireland had never really felt like home, he had always felt like a stranger living there with his parents. He had called the garage home for years now and it would always hold many memories for him – some good, some not so good – but now he craved something more.

Paige broke away and looked up into his eyes. "We have two more viewings this afternoon," she reminded him. "The second one checks all the boxes on your spreadsheet, I can't wait to take a look around. So, what did I miss while I was asleep? I thought I heard voices?"

"You just missed Kaye Snyder," replied Walter.

"The ex-wife?"

"Yes," nodded Walter. "It's was… it was an uncomfortable meeting. She appears somewhat nervous, Toby believes she's frightened that whoever killed her husband could go after her and her boyfriend next. She's convinced the captain at the lifeguard station is the murderer even though she's never met him."

"Then why does she think he's guilty?"

"It's a long story," replied Walter with a sigh. "I'll explain over brunch. Would you like me to prepare you something to eat, or should I head to Kovelsky's and grab some bagels?"

"If you're offering to make me breakfast then I'm not turning you down," replied Paige, with a grin. "I'll just go shower. Where is everyone?"

"Toby and Cabe are meeting with Captain Sanders in the hope of determining his guilt, or… or otherwise," began Walter. "Sylvester has an… an appointment, although he refused to elaborate on the details. Ralph is at school, Sly brought his dirty laundry back wrapped in three plastic bags. Happy is in bed – Toby's orders, h...her blood pressure was low last night. Patrick is keeping her company, although she's mad at Toby for asking him. Allie's at work, I assume… oh, she asked Cabe to tell you that the contouring palette you saw at the mall is on special today – neither Cabe nor I have any idea what that is, by the way. Patty has a preliminary meeting with the re-zoning committee and Ray… well, Ray could be anywhere."

Paige laughed. "Do you need to sit down after all that?" she asked.

It wasn't that long ago that her simple enquiry would have been met with a much shorter answer, but their family had grown so much and it amused her that Walter felt the need to update her on the whereabouts of every single one of them. It also made her heart beat faster, suddenly reminding her of how close they had come to losing everything.

"Are… are you OK?" asked Walter with concern.

"Yes, I'm fine, just thinking about the past again. I know I shouldn't."

"Toby has warned you how destructive that can be," Walter noted.

"I know," agreed Paige, wrapping her arms around him again. "From now on I promise I'll only think about the future. Our future."

"It might be worth also allocating some of your thought processes t…to the present," Walter pointed out.

"Fair comment," agreed Paige with smile. "But you know what I meant. I just want to find somewhere to live so we can get on with our future together."

"As do I," agreed Walter. "More than anything, b…but first I have to examine some seaweed."

Paige laughed. "You're so romantic, Walter O'Brien."

xXxXxXxXxXx

"Can I get you anything, sweetheart?"

"Thanks, Dad, but I'm fine," replied Happy. She was trying not to be rude to her dad – she'd actually loved spending so much alone time with him today – but the fact that Toby seemed to think she needed someone to look after her had put her in a really bad mood.

"Toby only called me over because he cares about you," said Patrick, perching on the corner of the bed.

"I… I know," she replied, eventually, wondering how her dad had become so good at reading her. "But it's not like I'm gonna do anything dumb, I'm not taking any chances with this baby. We've waited so long for this."

Patrick smiled warmly and reached out to squeeze her arm affectionately. "I can't wait to be a grandfather of three," he said. "I'll admit, one grandchild at a time would have been easier, but I'm ready."

Happy couldn't help but laugh. The prospect of adopting twin toddlers and having a new baby all within a few months was still overwhelming to her and Toby, but she hadn't really stopped to consider how her father must be feeling about it. He had been absent from his daughter's life for so long and then, just as they had reconnected, they'd had to endure a further forced separation, but now he was back just as her life was about to get as crazy as it had ever been.

"I'm so glad you're going to be here from the start," she said, earnestly. "I want my kids to know you and I want them to know about Mom too. You're the only one who can really tell them about her."

Patrick swallowed hard as a sudden rush of emotion welled inside him. "I wish your mother could be here now, she'd be so proud of you."

Happy nodded slowly. "Me too," she said quietly. Then she closed her eyes and let out a slow breath. "Dad, if anything happens to me…"

"Stop that," scolded Patrick. "Nothing's going to happen to you. What happened to your mother when she was giving birth… the doctors told me it was a one in a million event. We were just unlucky, that's all."

"I could be unlucky too," noted Happy.

Patrick shook his head. "No way," he insisted. "And medical technology has advanced so much since you were born. I'm sure Toby can tell you all about that. Have you told him how you feel?"

"Apparently Toby thinks I'm an idiot who can't take care of herself," retorted Happy.

"That's not true, sweetheart," replied Patrick. "He just loves you like crazy and he wants to keep his family safe. When your mother was carrying you I wanted to hold her in my arms forever, to protect her – and you – from the world. It's not that I didn't think she could do it on her own, it's just that I wanted to be part of it. Does that make any sense?"

Happy shrugged. "I guess," she admitted. "Toby knows I'm scared about the birth. He wants me to talk it through with him, but… I don't know… I guess saying it out loud makes it seem even more real. That sounds dumb doesn't it?"

"No it doesn't," insisted Patrick.

Happy considered his words for a moment. She had thought Toby was the lucky one, not having to deal with morning sickness, constant backache and whatever else pregnancy was going to throw at her, but now she was starting to see it from his point of view. Maybe he was feeling more like a spectator, not a participant in the process. She realised she would have to make a special effort to make him feel more involved, even if that did mean surrendering some of her independence.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

"What do you make of all this, Doc? Even I could tell he was spinning us a yarn."

"He pooped his pants when he realised we were onto him," replied Toby as he and Cabe walked out of the lifeguard station. "He's not our killer, but he's definitely hiding something. My guess is someone's pulling his strings."

"Kaye Snyder's creepy looking boyfriend? The one he was exchanging emails with?" suggested Cabe.

"Maybe," nodded Toby. "But I don't think we're finished with our ex-army medic yet. Did you find out anything about the stuff in his military records no one wants us to know about?"

"I'm working on it," snapped Cabe. "I can't just go snooping into top secret records without a damn good reason."

"So top secret that only the old paper files exist," Toby pointed out. "I guess the military know how easy it is for their own computer records to be hacked. Maybe they should consider upgrading their tech? I know a great firm that might want to take it on, I'm sure they could offer a discount. Really great bunch of people, they have this behaviourist, boy is he just the greatest guy you could meet…"

"Shut it, Doc."

"Wow, you're extra grouchy today," noted Toby.

"Just thinking, that's all," replied Cabe.

"Got a big decision to make, huh?"

"How did you…?" Cabe began, but he quickly stopped himself. "You know, Doc, even after five years your skills never cease to be as irritating as hell."

"If you want to talk…"

"I don't."

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Darlin', I'm home!"

Toby slipped the lanyard containing his fake ID from his neck and threw it onto the sofa before heading straight for the bedroom. Happy was sitting up in bed reading on her tablet and she briefly glanced up at him as he entered the room.

"You just missed Dad," she said.

Toby leaned in to kiss her, but Happy turned her head away.

"I know you're still mad at me for involving your dad," began Toby. "But…"

"But I'm pregnant, I'm not incapable of spending a day resting on my own," snapped Happy. "I could have caught up on a whole bunch of stuff online."

"But instead you had to spend it making up for lost time with your old dad," replied Toby, his voice tinged with sarcasm. "Geez, what a trauma."

Happy felt suddenly guilty. She wasn't really complaining about spending time with her dad and she suddenly realised how lucky she was that she had the chance to do so. Toby had never reconnected with his dad – or ever really connected with him at all. Happy didn't want her kids growing up not knowing their other granddad, but she wasn't sure how Toby would feel about a reconciliation. She realised now wasn't the time for that particular conversation though.

"Jerk," she snapped. "I'm trying to be mad at you."

Toby grinned. "You can't stay mad at me for long," he replied. "I'm way too good a husband for that." He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "I'll check your BP again," he added. "See if we can't get you out of bed in time for dinner."

Happy allowed him to fuss over her for a while, laughing to herself as he went into full doctor mode. Once she'd answered all his questions and he was satisfied that her condition had improved he held out his hand and helped her to her feet.

"There," he said with a smile. "Now, you have to promise me you're gonna take things easy."

"I'm not a moron," she replied.

"Hey, I know," insisted Toby. "And I'm sorry. I can't help worrying, that's all. I love you and I love our baby and…"

"I'm scared," she said suddenly. "About the birth." She knew she didn't have to say anymore, she knew he would understand.

"Oh, darlin'," he said, softly, pulling her into his arms. "Everything's gonna be fine, you'll see. I know it feels like you won't be in control, but you will. Giving birth is all about you, your body'll tell you what you need to do. And I'll be with you the whole time."

"But my mom…" she began, but before she could say anymore there was a knock at the door and she sighed, knowing this conversation would have to wait. "That's probably Dad," she said. "He always forgets something."

Toby went to the door and Happy followed him, pulling his dressing gown around her shoulders as she walked. Toby opened the door and they were both surprised to see Sylvester standing there carrying his briefcase. He was wearing a dark suit with a patterned tie and he had an enormous grin on his face.

"Hey, Sly," said Happy. "What's with the penguin costume?"

"Ooh, penguin costume," Toby mumbled to himself. "Now there's an idea."

"Perv!" exclaimed Happy and slapped his arm.

Sylvester shook his head and marched past them both to enter the apartment. "I have some good news," he said, refusing to think about their costume fetish.

Toby headed towards the couch. "Is this what the secret appointment was about?" he asked.

"What secret appointment?" queried Happy as they all sat down.

"I'm sorry for the secrecy," replied Sylvester, looking suddenly guilty. "But I wanted it to be a surprise. Please don't be mad."

Toby narrowed his eyes and studied his friend as he pulled a file from his briefcase. Sylvester had always been so easy for him to read and today was no exception. "Oh… wait a second," he began, a broad grin quickly spreading across his lips.

"No!" exclaimed Sylvester, his sudden outburst taking Happy by surprise. "Please let me have this moment, Toby!" He got to his feet and smiled reassuringly at them, before clearing his throat.

Toby grabbed his wife's hand tightly, the anticipation was almost too much, but Happy still had no idea what was going on.

"Happy, Toby, as your lawyer I have some good news," began Sylvester. "The adoption process is complete. You have an appointment with the agency tomorrow to file the final paperwork. Caitlin and Stella, those two beautiful little girls, are now yours." He smiled warmly, swallowing hard as a lump developed in his throat. "And they are the luckiest little girls in the world."

 _To be continued…_


	9. Chapter 9 - Parenting

**Some of the team are introduced to the adorable Quintis twins, Allie turns to Toby for help and Ralph has a chat with Walter.**

 _ **Thank you so much to everyone for your reviews and comments on this story so far. I'm delighted that you're all enjoying it. I hope you like this chapter too!**_

 **CHAPTER 9.**

"What are you doing here, Doc?" Cabe strode across the garage as Toby got out of the truck. "I thought Walt told you and Happy to take some parental leave?"

"He did," agreed Toby. "And Day One of Operation Quintis Parental Leave was just perfect. Just us and the girls." He paused, pressing his lips together to quell the emotion that suddenly threatened to overwhelm him. "But they've exhausted Mommy, so Day Two is a Daddy Day while Mommy is on bed rest."

"Oh no, is Happy OK?" asked Paige, walking over to join them.

"She's not a happy Happy today," admitted Toby. "But she'll be fine. It's not unusual at this stage of pregnancy. Baby Quintis is zapping all her energy. I'm going to put together some dietary changes which should help."

"If there's anything I can do…" offered Paige and Toby smiled appreciatively.

"Likewise," added Cabe with a nod. "Where are those cute little bundles of trouble anyway?"

"In the truck," explained Toby. "I figured it was time they met their extended family." He walked round to the other side of the car and opened the door as Paige and Cabe excitedly waited to meet Happy and Toby's newly adopted daughters.

"Hey there baby girl," grinned Cabe as Toby carried Stella towards them.

Stella giggled and reached out to Cabe who took her tiny hand in his and kissed it. Stella giggled again.

"Y'know, we haven't talked about what they should call you," Toby pointed out. "How about Grandpa?" He was only half-joking. He knew Cabe would hate that particular name, but at the same time he knew he'd be proud to be considered as the girls' grandparent.

Cabe scowled. "And how about my foot and your ass…"

"Language in front of my daughters!" exclaimed Toby, unable to supress his grin.

Cabe narrowed his eyes. "OK, OK," he conceded. "I don't know, Doc. What about Pops?" he suggested. "It's what I used to call my grandfather, my mom's dad. I was only a kid when he passed, but he was a good man."

Toby smiled, a genuine smile this time. "Pops it is," he agreed. "Happy's gonna love it."

Stella wriggled in Toby's arms and pointed at Paige.

"Oh, Toby, she's adorable!" exclaimed Paige, then her smile became a look of uncertainty. "Stella or Caitlin?" she asked.

Toby laughed. "Stella," he confirmed. "Caitlin's asleep and she's kinda shy." He lifted Stella into the air. "Why don't you go to Auntie Paige and I'll get your sister."

Paige gleefully took Stella into her arms and the little girl wriggled and squirmed with delight as Paige and Cabe made a fuss over her.

Toby reappeared a few moments later with Caitlin in his arms. She was clutching a small rag doll and she clung tightly to Toby, burying her face in his neck. "It's OK, sweetheart," he whispered to her.

Cabe and Paige exchanged a glance. Toby and Happy had told everyone about how different from each other the twins were and they had certainly been right. While Stella was now on the floor holding Paige's hands and dancing on unsteady feet, Caitlin looked as though she would never let go of Toby as he made soothing noises and gently stroked her hair.

"Why don't we go sit on the floor?" suggested Paige. "I'll get a blanket."

Toby nodded and smiled gratefully.

"I'm sorry, Doc, but I gotta bail," said Cabe, reluctantly. "Walt set up a meeting with Kaye Snyder's boyfriend. Y'know, the creepy looking guy. He and Ralph ran a bunch of tests on the seaweed yesterday, can't say I understand what they found, but it kinda points the finger at either Mr Creepy, or the old army doc."

"Wouldn't mind a look at those test results later," said Toby.

"They're on my desk," said Paige as she tried to spread a blanket on the floor with one hand while Stella had a firm grip of the other. "But you're not supposed to be working, remember."

"I know," agreed Toby, settling himself on the blanket with Caitlin. "But I know way more about biology than One Ninety Seven," he added with a grin.

"I'll leave you guys to fight that one out," said Cabe. "I'm outta here. If Allie drops by tell her I'll be back by two thirty." He blew a kiss at Stella and Toby returned the gesture, earning him a scowl from the older man before he walked out of the garage.

Paige laughed and shook her head in despair. "You're supposed to grow up now you're a father," she said.

"Me? Never!" exclaimed Toby with a wink. Then he looked down at Caitlin. "Come on, sweetheart," he said in a gentle voice. "Auntie Paige wants to say hi." He slowly peeled her arms from around his neck and coaxed her into sitting on his lap, but she refused to take her eyes off her doll.

"It must be so strange for her," said Paige, sympathetically. "After everything they've been through now they have another new home to get used to."

Toby nodded. "That's why it was so important that Hap and I were involved in their lives as soon as we started the adoption process. It's gonna take Caitlin a little longer than Stella to adjust, but she'll be fine."

"Lucky for her she has the world's greatest shrink for a daddy," grinned Paige.

Toby shrugged. "I've never really worked with kids before," he admitted. "The theory's all up here, of course," he added, tapping his temple with his forefinger. "But putting it into practice is a whole different ball game. My speciality - one of my specialities," he corrected himself with his usual lack of modesty, "is getting people to talk. Kinda hard when my patient has a vocabulary of about ten words that all sound like Cabe when you wake him up after a long flight."

Paige chuckled and Stella copied her before pushing herself to her feet and waving her hands in the air. "Oh, Toby, she's so much fun!" smiled Paige and she mimicked the little girl's actions.

Paige and Toby sat on the blanket for over an hour talking and playing with the girls. It didn't take long before Caitlin settled and she started to play with her sister. Paige was impressed that she seemed happy to share her doll with Stella, but just in case it didn't last she borrowed a Super Fun Guy figure from Sylvester's desk and showed Stella how to move its jointed arms. The little girl twirled it around and Caitlin did the same with her little rag doll, occasionally giving it to Toby so he could make it dance in front of her.

"You've really taken to this," smiled Paige. "Fatherhood, I mean."

Toby smiled at the praise. "It feels so natural, Paige," he replied. "Having them at home with us at last, I mean. Heck, I'm sure we still have a tonne of stuff to figure out, but I guess it feels like whatever it is, we can do it. All of us, together."

"Your little family," noted Paige.

Toby nodded. Then his eyes narrowed as he noticed Paige's left hand drift over her abdomen. "Have you ever thought about having more kids?" he asked, casually. He knew all about the difficulties she'd had raising Ralph as a single mother, but now she was with Walter and all their problems were behind them it was obvious to him that the idea had crossed her mind.

Paige's eyes widened. "I… I… I guess," she replied. "I mean, these last few months I guess I've started to wonder… But I don't know if Walter…" she trailed off.

"Why don't you wait until you're settled into your new place and then ask him?" suggested Toby. Before Paige could answer, Stella held out the Super Fun Guy figure for Toby and he took it from her. "Thank you, sweetheart," he said. "Don't tell your Uncle Sly we're playing with his toys," he added with a wink. Then he looked at Paige. "So?" he prompted. "You gonna ask Walt if he's ready for the pitter-patter of little Dineen-O'Brien feet?"

Paige let out a slow breath as he contemplated Toby's words. "What if he says no?"

Toby grinned. "He won't."

"Toby!" exclaimed Paige. "No! I just want us to make a home together. We're already a family, we have Ralph and Walter is his father, no matter what anyone else says."

"When was the last time you talked to Andrew, anyway?" asked Toby.

Paige frowned at him. "I don't want to talk about Drew."

"I know you don't," acknowledged Toby. "But you should."

Paige nodded. "I know," she said, quietly. "He hasn't had any contact with Ralph for months. Can we leave this for another day, though, please?"

Before Toby had chance to argue, Stella snatched Caitlin's rag doll from her hand and Caitlin cried out.

"Hey, hey," said Toby, deliberately keeping his voice calm. He pulled Caitlin onto his lap while Paige took Stella's hands in hers and the situation was quickly diffused.

"Maybe I will just stick with one kid after all?" offered Paige, grinning at Toby's suddenly frazzled expression. "They might be hungry?" she suggested.

"Well I sure am," replied Toby. "Kovelsky's?"

Paige laughed. "With these two? Oh Toby, you've got a lot to learn," she laughed. "Taking a toddler out to eat is a military operation, let alone two of them at once!"

Just then the door opened and Allie walked in. "Hi," she said with a smile, noticing Paige first. Then she saw Toby and the twins. "Oh, my, these must be your girls!" She walked over to them and knelt on the blanket.

Toby did the introductions and Allie smiled warmly at Caitlin and Stella. She picked up the Super Fun Guy figure and Stella squealed and used Paige's arm to pull herself to her feet, but she could only manage a few steps before she fell back to the blanket with a bump. Stella didn't seem at all bothered, but Caitlin was clearly unnerved by the sudden movement and she reached out to Toby, her bottom lip starting to quiver.

"Hey, it's OK," he tried to reassure her. "Ssshh… Daddy's here." He wrapped his arms protectively around her and Paige and Allie couldn't help but smile.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to hearing you say that," said Allie.

"Yeah? Well wait until you hear them calling Cabe 'Pops'," replied Toby with a wink.

Suddenly Allie got to her feet. "I… I'd better be going," she said, her voice trembling as she spoke.

Paige exchanged a worried glance with Toby. "Cabe and Walter won't be much longer," she said, hoping Allie would stay.

"I'll see Cabe at home," replied Allie. "It… it was lovely meeting…" but she trailed off and turned away from them.

Toby lifted Caitlin from his arms and handed her to Paige, who was even more concerned about Allie now, before getting to his feet. "Allie?" he said, gently. "What's wrong?" He had a fair idea what was wrong, but he wanted to hear it from Allie in her own words.

Allie sighed deeply. "Cabe… hasn't given me an answer yet," she admitted.

Paige gasped. "You… you proposed to Cabe?" she said, not quite able to believe it.

Allie spun round, a broad smile replacing the anxious look she had been wearing moments earlier. "No! Goodness me, no," she answered. "Not that… I mean I would, that is I don't mean…" she blushed hard, realising how it might have sounded. "No, I didn't propose, but I am waiting for a different answer."

Allie and Toby sat back down on the blanket and she quickly explained to Paige about her fostering idea.

"He just needs more time," said Toby. "He was mulling it over a couple days ago when we went to question Captain Sanders."

"How much time, Toby?" asked Allie, sounding a little desperate. "If he's taking this long to decide, it makes me think he doesn't want to do it. I wish he'd just say, I would understand."

"I don't think it's as simple as that," began Toby. "I've noticed a few markers these past few days. Grief markers."

Allie closed her eyes. "Amanda," she said sadly.

Toby nodded. "Last time I saw him like this was when his ex-wife came back into his life."

"That was four years ago," Paige pointed out. "Are you saying he hasn't thought about his daughter in four years?"

"Of course he has, but you know Cabe, he's almost as bad as Walt for ignoring his feelings," replied Toby. "So he thinks about Amanda all the time, but his psyche only allows him to remember the good things."

"Isn't that the best way to deal with a bereavement?" Allie queried.

"It is, but only if you've gone through all the stages of grief first," Toby explained. "Depending on what model you follow there are five, six or seven stages. I think part of him is still stuck on stage two - denial. He's gone through some of the later stages - all the guilt and anger ones – but he's never going to reach the final stage and move on if he doesn't figure out the rest of it."

"And that's why he can't contemplate becoming a foster parent," sighed Allie.

"It's a big part of it," acknowledged Toby. "It doesn't mean he doesn't want to, Allie, he just doesn't know how to process how he's feeling. His psyche knows he should have dealt with this years ago, so now he's confused. The idea of becoming a parent – even a temporary one – has opened old wounds."

Allie nodded sadly, but her introspection was interrupted by Caitlin who had shuffled over to her. "Hey, sweetie," smiled Allie as the little girl reached out to her. Allie took the little girl's hand and gently swayed her arm from side to side. Caitlin giggled and Allie stroked her soft hair with the back of her other hand before the little girl copied her, touching Allie's hair with her chubby fingers.

Paige smiled at Toby, acknowledging Caitlin's apparent empathy.

Allie looked up at him. "Can you help Cabe, Toby?" she asked. "This isn't about the fostering - we can put that idea on the backburner for a while, or maybe just forget about it completely - but I hate to think of him still in so much pain after all these years."

Toby let out a slow breath. "I can try," he replied. "But it won't be easy for him. I'll need to dig deep. It'll be harrowing, really raw, until we work through it all."

"You helped him before, when he was repressing the details of his father's death," Allie pointed out. "That hurt too, but he knows how much better he felt because of those therapy sessions."

"Of course he did, I'm the world's greatest therapist," winked Toby. Then his face became serious again. "I can't force him, Allie," he said. "He has to want to do it."

Allie smiled gratefully. "Thank you," she said. "I know you've got a lot on your plate right now. I'll talk to him, try to persuade him to allow you to help again." Then Caitlin climbed into her lap and rested her head against her chest. "Oh, sweetie," said Allie, gently wrapping her arms around the little girl. "You're the only therapy I need."

xXxXxXxXxXx

"Where's Mom?"

"She's gone to Toby and Happy's," replied Walter as Ralph dropped his school bag onto the floor. "Apparently Happy is feeling unwell again. Toby was here with the twins earlier."

"Oh, I wanted to meet them!" replied Ralph with a look of disappointment.

"I'm sure there'll be ample opportunity," said Walter. "Did you collect further samples?"

"Yes," replied Ralph. "I got some more of the seaweed and another water sample."

"Excellent," smiled Walter. "I've set up the test equipment. If your theory from yesterday is correct, the level of nitrates in the seaweed will have fallen by point two five percent."

"Which proves Captain Sanders and Mr Creepy are both innocent," concluded Ralph. "And Dr Sametti is our killer."

"We still haven't ruled out blackmail," noted Walter. He and Ralph had spent much of the previous evening reviewing the evidence and considering the possible motives of each of their suspects. Ralph was convinced the former military medic was guilty, but Walter was more inclined to believe Kaye Snyder's creepy looking boyfriend was the culprit. They didn't have enough concrete evidence to prove either theory yet, though. "Sylvester has been looking into an interesting pattern of phone calls made from Sanders phone," continued Walter. "He's hopeful he can come up with some answers."

They walked over to the workbench and began carrying out tests on the seaweed. For a while, the only conversation was about the results and what they could mean, but as they ran the final test, Ralph decided it was a good moment to talk to Walter about something else.

"So, Walter, are you excited about us all living together?" he asked.

"Of course I am," replied Walter. He put down the test tube he'd been holding, making sure he was giving Ralph his full attention. "I hope you don't think otherwise? B…b…being together, the three of us, in our own home is… is…" he couldn't finish his sentence because, as usual, he couldn't put his feelings into words.

"It's just that…" continued Ralph. "It's just that I've wanted this for so long… You, me and Mom, I mean. I know we've been a family for years and the whole team is a family, but when we get our own place… I guess what I'm trying to say is, when we get our own place you really will be my dad, Walter. I don't really know what it's like to have a real dad, not one who cares about me, who's there for me, but… but I know having you as my dad is going to be the best thing ever."

Walter felt a lump in his throat as he was suddenly overcome with emotion. He remembered the first moment he'd met Ralph, the moment they'd truly connected and he'd realised just how much potential Ralph had. The moment he'd realised how much alike they were. Now, after everything they'd been through over the last five years, it felt like this was the moment they'd been aiming for. This was everything that Walter had ever wanted. A family. It was almost too much for him to take in.

"Mom really likes the place you viewed yesterday," said Ralph, breaking Walter out of his thoughts. "She showed me some photos, it looks pretty cool."

"It is," agreed Walter. "And it's available immediately. If we can make the arrangements, we could…" but he was interrupted by Sylvester running into the garage.

He was a little out of breath and he apparently didn't notice Walter or Ralph watching him as he ran over to his desk and grabbed his lilac sweater vest from the back of his chair.

"Oooh, the lilac!" exclaimed Ralph with a huge grin on his face. "Who's the lucky lady?"

Sylvester almost jumped out of his skin. "Ralph!" he exclaimed, clutching his chest. "I… I… didn't see you there."

"So…" prompted Ralph.

"It's not what you think," insisted Sylvester, panting to catch his breath. "Kimberley has remembered something that may be of significance to the investigation. I suggested we meet at Kovelsky's to discuss it."

"So it's a date," concluded Ralph, matter of factly.

"No, no, no," insisted Sylvester. "We're going to discuss the case, that's all. She's as eager to find the murderer as we are. Charlie Snyder was a good friend of hers."

Ralph opened his mouth to continue teasing, but Sylvester's distinctive Super Fun Guy ringtone spoiled his fun. Sylvester quickly answered his phone. "Hi, Kimberley," he began, blushing bright red when he realised Walter and Ralph were listening, but his embarrassment was quickly replaced by shock. "What? Are you sure?" he said in an urgent tone. "Did you call the cops?"

Walter and Ralph quickly realised something was wrong and crossed the floor to Sylvester's desk.

"OK, OK, stay where you are," continued Sylvester. "I'm coming over." He glanced at Walter before adding. "With… with Walter. Keep the doors locked until we get there." He ended the call and clutched his phone tightly in both hands, trying to process what he'd just heard.

"What is it, Sly?" prompted Walter.

"Kimberley…" began Sylvester in a shaky voice. "Some guy just broke into her apartment!"

 _To be continued..._


	10. Chapter 10 - More Tea

**Sylvester's feelings take him by surprise, motherhood stirs up old memories for Happy and Walter tackles domestic issues.**

 ** _I am having so much fun writing this story with these wonderful characters and bringing all those moments to life that we were denied the chance to see on screen. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, your reviews mean so much. Thank you kindly!_**

 **CHAPTER 10.**

"Excuse the mess."

Kimberley walked into Sylvester's apartment and looked around, wondering what 'mess' he could possibly be referring to. This was by far the most neat and tidy apartment she'd ever been in.

Sylvester closed the door, activated the deadlock, slid the bolt across and latched the security chain.

Kimberley couldn't help but smile. "You said I'd be safe here," she said. "I guess you were right."

"Can't be too careful," replied Sylvester, checking the lock for the third time. "If I ever found an intruder in my apartment I know I wouldn't be as calm as you."

"I don't feel calm," replied Kimberley, her smile fading. "And you should have heard me scream when I saw him."

Sylvester smiled supportively at her. When he and Walter had arrived at her apartment the police were already there, but the intruder was long gone. Kimberley had been giving her statement to a young, female officer who had praised her for her composure. Sylvester had recognised the signs of fear in her eyes, though and she seemed to appreciate his empathy.

"Any idea who he was?" he asked, but Kimberley shook her head. "Try not to worry, the cops are onto it," he added.

"And Walter," added Kimberley. "He seemed pretty mad at that detective."

Walter had suspected the break-in had something to do with the murder of Charlie Snyder, but the Police detective had not been convinced at all.

"Hmmm," agreed Sylvester. "Walt tends to act like that when he's convinced he's right about something."

Kimberley sat on the couch and tucked her knees up under her chin. "Are you sure it's OK for me to stay here tonight?" she asked quietly.

Sylvester had made the offer as soon as he realised she had nowhere else to go. Anthea was visiting their mother for a few days and none of her friends could help her out, so Sylvester had suggested she stay with him. "Of course it's OK," he replied with a smile, but he had started to wonder if he'd made a mistake. They barely knew each other, had she misinterpreted his intentions? She seemed nice enough, but it was a bold move for the genius and even Walter had raised his eyebrows when he'd made the suggestion. "But… but if you feel uncomfortable…" he began, feeling his anxiety level jump.

Kimberley's face fell. "I don't… at least, I didn't…" she replied. "If you think I should go…"

"Oh, oh, I didn't mean…" Sylvester stumbled over his words. "I… I…" He stopped talking and took a deep breath. "Why don't I make some chamomile tea?" he suggested.

"I'd like that."

They talked for a while and Sylvester began to relax as they drank their tea. Kimberley told him about Charlie and how he had been her mentor when she had started as a rookie lifeguard.

"I wasn't sure if I was really cut out for it," she explained. "But Charlie taught me to believe in myself."

Sylvester smiled. "Megan did that for me," he replied. "She was my wife," he explained. "She was sick, we didn't have long together, but she was the most incredible person. Before I met her I used to struggle with anxiety. A lot. I still do, sometimes." He wasn't sure why he had started talking so openly about himself, but he felt comfortable talking to Kimberley.

"You must miss her very much."

"All the time," he admitted. "But she's always with me. I'll always remember her and you'll always remember Charlie."

"I was kinda shy when I first started" Kimberley began. "And I remember once when Anthea was working all hours at the orphanage and I didn't really know anyone yet, Charlie organised for some of the guys to hang out with me after work."

"He sounds like a good man," noted Sylvester.

"He was," she agreed, sadly. "He cared about everyone… and everything too. Sometimes it got him into trouble."

"Like the time he got suspended?" asked Sylvester, remembering the information they'd discovered in his files.

Kimberley nodded. "He should never have been suspended, he was just trying to save an endangered species. He should have got a medal, but it was all about politics. He doesn't… I mean, he _didn't_ talk about it much."

Sylvester smiled sympathetically. "It gets easier," he said. "Missing someone you cared about, I mean."

Kimberley smiled back. "Thank you," she said and she rested her hand on his knee. "You're a very kind person, Sylvester."

Sylvester blushed hard. "I… I… I…" he stammered. "Um… more tea?" he suggested and before waiting for an answer he ran out to the kitchen.

He opened the fridge and stared at the contents, not really sure what he was looking for, he just needed something to ground his thoughts. His thoughts… about Kimberley. He grabbed a can of soda water and tugged at the ring pull, focusing on the snapping noise it made and the subsequent fizzing sound to help soothe his mind.

Sylvester had been confused about his feelings before and it had contributed to almost destroying the team – his family – so this time he wasn't going to take any chances. He wasn't going to wait and wait for weeks before testing the waters until his head was spinning so much that he didn't know what to think anymore.

This time he wasn't going to confuse being a good friend with being ' _the one_ '. He had to be sure this time.

He had to be.

A smile spread across Sylvester's lips and slowly his anxiety eased to be replaced by a sense of cautious excitement. Nothing might come of this, he realised, but he wasn't prepared to risk not knowing. He hadn't felt like this in a long time… and he liked it.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Morning, lovebug. How did you sleep?"

Happy blinked deeply at the early morning sun streaming in through a gap in the curtains. "Good," she replied, then she pushed herself further up onto the pillows as Toby handed her a cup of ginger tea. "The girls... are they OK? Did they sleep through the night?"

Toby shook his head. "Not exactly," he replied. "But they're sleeping now."

Happy squinted at him. "You look like crap," she noted, bluntly. "Have you been up all night?"

Toby climbed into bed beside her. "Not the _whole_ night," he explained. "I guess I got some sleep around three thirty... until about four thirty."

"Why the hell didn't you wake me, dumbass?"

Toby planted a tender kiss on her temple. "You needed to rest," he explained. Her face fell into an angry frown and he kissed her again, soothing her ire immediately.

"I'm their Mommy now, Toby, I should be getting up to them in the night," insisted Happy.

"While Daddy sleeps all night so he can get up for work in the morning?" queried Toby. "I forgot we're living in the nineteen seventies now. Hurry up and iron my shirt and make my breakfast, will you?"

Happy scowled at him. Then her expression softened and she ran a hand over her growing baby bump. "We waited so long for this I started to think it would never happen. Now it's all happened at once. We've had the girls for less than forty eight hours and already I'm failing them."

"Hey, hey, hey," said Toby, softly, wrapping her hand in his as he spoke. "You're not failing them. We're in this together, right? So we share the parent-y stuff. All of it. The fun stuff and the less fun stuff... like sleepless nights."

"Do you really think this new diet you put me on is gonna fix me?" she asked. Her pregnancy had been progressing well so far so she wasn't ready to take it easy, especially not now. It felt like she had so much to do and she couldn't _do_ any of it.

"Sure it will," grinned Toby. "I designed it, didn't I?"

"And you're never wrong," added Happy, rolling her eyes sarcastically.

"Never," he added with a wink. "I guarantee you'll have more energy today and by the end of the week you'll be running marathons... hmmm... running gear..." His eyes glazed over momentarily as his mind filled with the image of his wife in yet another saucy costume, but Happy soon snapped him out of it with a slap on the arm.

"Perv!" she exclaimed and shook her head, but Toby could tell by the look in her eyes that she hadn't completely dismissed the idea.

He rolled onto his side and slipped his arm gently over her bump. "All this'll be worth it, sugarpuff," he whispered. "I love you."

Within a few minutes Toby was snoring lightly. Happy carefully moved his arm and rolled out of bed. For the briefest of moments she stood there just watching him sleep. His lips parted slightly with each breath and his eyelids twitched as he quickly slipped into a deep sleep. She watched him until the urge to pee eventually became too much and she headed for the bathroom. When she returned Toby had rolled onto his back and the snoring was louder. If she had been attempting to sleep herself the noise would definitely have earned her husband an elbow in the ribs, but this time there was no need to disturb him.

As she got herself dressed, her mind wandered back to the first time they'd met. If anyone had suggested back then that they'd eventually get married, let alone have kids, she would have thought they were crazy, but now she couldn't imagine being married to anyone else.

She pulled on a t-shirt and was about to brush her hair when she heard a cry from the other room. She raced towards the sound, hoping to calm whichever of the twins had woken up - it was Stella - before she woke her sister, but she was too late. By the time she was in their bedroom they were both crying.

"Listen up," she said, lifting Stella onto her hip. "Daddy's asleep, so cool it."

 _Cool it?_ She shook her head in dismay. That wasn't a thing you said to babies, she knew that, but it had just come out. "Um, OK," she continued. "So I think I just proved how crappy I am at this game, so give me a break, huh?"

Stella appeared to calm a little so Happy sat her on the floor before turning her attention to Caitlin. "Hey," she said softly. "I'm trying, OK. I promise you I'll get better. I just need to figure out how to be a mommy."

She lifted Caitlin into her arms and held her for a moment. "Sshhh," she whispered, bouncing her gently and walking around the room.

Stella seemed content to watch them until Caitlin eventually stopped crying. Happy sat Caitlin down next to her sister and then lowered herself to the floor to join them, grimacing at how awkward she found the manoeuvre. She was only just over half way through her pregnancy and already she was finding simple movement difficult. She sighed and picked up some plastic stacking blocks and the girls both grabbed at them.

"You gonna build something?" she asked optimistically. "I'll show you how."

She quickly constructed a bridge with the brightly coloured bricks. It was a simple overhanging beam design, but it was effective. Stella took one look at it before knocking all the bricks to the floor with a swipe of her hand. She giggled at Happy and picked up a blue block in one hand and a red one in the other. For a moment Happy thought she might stack them, but instead she started banging them together. Happy frowned and tried to take them from her tiny hands, but Stella tightened her grip and continued her game.

"OK, OK," conceded Happy with a chuckle. "I guess you're gonna be a musician, not an engineer."

She sat back and let the girls play for a while, enjoying the moment, a moment she had thought might never come. After a while, Caitlin came to her for a cuddle and Happy gladly obliged.

"I get it, you just want to make sure I'm still here," she said, holding her close. "Y'know, when I was in the orphanage... I mean, I was older than you, but I used to imagine what it would be like to get adopted one day. To start with I used to get attached to the foster parents – dumb idea, believe me. I soon learnt not to bother 'coz eventually they just hand you back and never even give you a second thought. You have no idea how that makes a kid feel. It hurt like hell…"

Her voice hitched and she took a moment to swallow, fighting a wave of emotion.

"So then I guess I learnt not to get attached to anyone," she continued eventually. "If it wasn't for Tob... I mean... Daddy, I'd never have learnt how to... I don't know, I guess I'd never have learnt how to love."

Happy pulled Stella onto her lap, moving Caitlin over to make enough room for her sister. Having them both in her arms felt wonderful and terrifying at the same time, but she knew she and Toby had made the right choice when they decided to bring these girls into their lives. She was absolutely certain about that. "We're your world and you're ours," she whispered, echoing her words from the moment they'd decided to adopt. "You'll never have to go through what I went through. Never… never…"

Happy closed her eyes as a barrage of unhappy memories came flooding back. She kissed the top of Caitlin's head and somehow managed to maintain her composure, forcing those old feelings of unhappiness and desperate loneliness back into the far corner of her mind where she usually kept them.

"Geez," she said eventually. "Why am I telling you all this? It's not like you have a clue what I'm talking about."

"Because you know she's a good listener, just like her Daddy."

Happy's head snapped round at the sound of Toby's voice. He was standing in the doorway, leaning his head on the doorframe and his face conveyed all the empathy he felt for her at that moment.

"How long have you been...?"

"Long enough."

He walked into the room and knelt beside her. Stella immediately held out a plastic brick for him and he took it from her. "Thank you, sweetheart," he said with a smile. Then his face became more serious again as he turned his attention back to Happy. "I wondered how long it would be before the whole adoption process reawakened those old memories of being a foster kid," he said.

Happy pursed her lips and moved the twins from her lap. "Not now, Doc," she whispered. "Please. I'd rather keep the memories buried a little longer. Just let me enjoy these first few days... weeks... I'll tell you when I'm ready to talk about how much being a foster kid screwed with my head, OK?"

Toby nodded and smiled. "OK," he agreed and he captured her lips in a tender kiss. "You know I'll wait for as long as you need, but…"

Suddenly he had an idea.

"But maybe there's someone else you could talk to about it?" he continued. He hoped Happy would be prepared to go along with his plan when she realised the reason behind it.

Happy narrowed her eyes. "What the hell are you talking about? Didn't I just tell you I'm not ready to talk to you about it yet?"

"What if you talked to Cabe instead?"

"Cabe?" Happy looked at her husband like he had gone completely crazy. "You want Cabe to be my therapist?"

"Sure. He's been taking night classes," replied Toby. Happy gave her husband a startled look, but he couldn't keep a straight face for very long. "Relax, honeybunch, I'm not talking about therapy," he said. "I know you've talked to him about it before."

"A little, I guess," agreed Happy. "Back when he was staying at my place that time."

"Then you could go a little further," suggested Toby. "Tell him exactly how some of your experiences made you feel."

Happy scrunched her nose. "Sounds weird. What's going on?"

"Will you trust me on this?"

"Never," she snapped. Then she sighed and a smile twitched at the corner of her lips. "Always," she said.

A smug grin spread across Toby's face. "In that case, I think we're going to Cabe and Allie's for lunch."

"Have we been invited?" asked Happy, suspiciously.

"Not yet," replied Toby, with a wink. "But we will be… I just need to make a phone call."

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

"And the kitchen has these cute tiles and the bathroom suite is really modern and…"

"Mom! You've told me all this!"

Paige sighed and put a plate of sandwiches and a mug of green tea on the table in front of her son. "I just want to make sure you agree with our decision."

The truth was, Ralph was really bored of hearing about light fittings and door handles and carpet tiles. He glanced at Walter and completely understood why he had found all the viewings and decision making so difficult.

"Stop doing that," Paige scolded. Walter and Ralph both gave her a look of confusion. "That genius thing you do," she continued. "That telepathic thing, knowing what each other is thinking without needing to say a word."

"There have been many studies into the possible existence of telepathic abilities," replied Walter. "But none of them have discovered an ounce of truth in the idea. Not in the sense that two people can transmit their thoughts to each other in the form of words, anyway. You know, this may be a discussion you should have with Toby, because…"

"Never mind," sighed Paige. This wasn't the direction she'd anticipated this conversation going at all. "So, are we all agreed?"

"About telepaths?" asked Ralph.

"About our new home!" exclaimed Paige, throwing her hands in the air in despair. "Because if we are I'll call the agent."

Walter took her hand in his and smiled warmly at her. "I think w…w…we are all in agreement," he said, glancing at Ralph.

"I meant it when I said I'd gladly live in a cardboard box if it meant the three of us could finally be together," said Ralph. "You've made me wait long enough already!"

"Ralph!" Paige frowned at her son. "Being a genius doesn't give you a free pass to talk to me like that!"

Ralph pouted and folded his arms across his chest. "Can I eat lunch in my room?" he asked. "I was gonna Skype Daniel."

Paige knew she couldn't stop him. She knew he was right about how long it had taken her and Walter to get this far, but there had been reasons. Not all of them had necessarily been good reasons, but they were reasons nonetheless. If she could turn back the clock and do things differently from the moment she met Walter then she would, but of course she knew that was impossible. She also knew that everything they'd been through in the last five years, all the ups and downs, had only made their relationship stronger so maybe she shouldn't be wishing she could change the past after all? The important thing was they were here now, at the start of the rest of their lives together, one stroppy teenage genius included.

Walter watched as Ralph carried his sandwich towards his bedroom and was struck – not for the first time - by how much Ralph reminded him of himself at that age.

"I guess a few weeks seems like a lifetime when you're an impatient fourteen year old," suggested Paige as she brought two more plates of sandwiches to the table.

"Ralph is capable of accurately calculating the passing of time, so… so I doubt he…"

"That's not what I meant," replied Paige, rolling her eyes. "He was so much easier to please when he was a baby," she continued. "Toby and Happy should make the most of the early years, they're so precious. Oh, Walter, you should have seen Toby with the girls yesterday. They were so adorable!"

Paige had talked about the twins a lot in the last twenty four hours. Walter had counted her use of the words ' _cute_ ' eleven times, ' _precious_ ' ten times and ' _adorable_ ' eight times. It had started something niggling at him, a question he couldn't help but feel he should know the answer to already, but he really didn't.

Open communication. That was one of the most important things in their relationship so he would just have to ask her outright, he realised, or he could get completely the wrong end of the stick and that had never ended well for him in the past. He took a deep breath, now was as good a time as any.

"Paige, would you like to have another baby?"

Paige almost choked on her sandwich.

 ** _To be continued..._**


	11. Chapter 11 - Parental Leave

**Toby sets to work on Cabe and then dispenses some much needed advice to Paige. Meanwhile, Walter is confused.**

 _ **T** **hank you to everyone who is reading and revie** **wing this story, I just wish I could respond to individual guest/anonymous reviews - you'll just have to believe me when I say how much I appreciate all your comments and support! I**_ _ **hope you all enjoy this chapter.**_

 **CHAPTER 11.**

"I know I keep saying it, but they're such beautiful girls!"

Cabe chuckled as Allie smiled and fussed over Caitlin and Stella. He held out another breadstick for Stella and the little girl took it and waved it in the air. "Beautiful," he agreed with Allie. "But looks like they have Daddy's table manners." He looked at Toby with a raised eyebrow.

"Breadstick waving is a skill," retorted Toby. "Shows a deep understanding of spatial awareness."

"That's bull," replied Cabe with a grin.

"Language, Cabe!" exclaimed Allie, covering Caitlin's ears.

Happy sniggered and glanced knowingly at Toby. "They've heard worse," she noted.

"My wife has a mouth like a sewer," acknowledged Toby with a sigh. "Any more of that pasta, Allie, please?"

Allie passed him the bowl and glanced back at Cabe who was making two breadsticks dance in front of Stella, while she giggled with delight. Allie looked back at Toby who gave her a tiny nod. They'd almost finished eating, but despite their best efforts to start a conversation about fostering Cabe had always managed to change the subject. Toby was well aware the older man had an idea that something was going on, he just hoped they didn't end up making the situation worse.

"I guess the girls were lucky to have Anthea at the orphanage," began Allie. "After everything they've been through, I mean. She seemed to care for them very well."

Toby nodded. "Definitely," he agreed. "Kids need stability, they need to know someone cares about them, isn't that right, Sugarplum?"

Happy forced a smile onto her lips. She wasn't comfortable with this at all. She couldn't understand why Allie didn't just ask Cabe outright why he was stalling on an answer about becoming foster parents. Happy was a straight talker and all this dancing around the subject made her feel like they were manipulating him. "Uh... yeah," she agreed. "When you're growing up in the system..."

Suddenly Cabe stood up and Happy fell silent. "The only time you ever talked about your childhood this much, kid, was a couple times back when was staying at your place and we'd both had one too many beers," he said, gruffly. "Do all of you really think I'm a fool?" he asked, glaring at Allie. "I know what you're trying to do."

Allie looked horrified. The only time she remembered him looking at her that way was when she'd sabotaged Sylvester's election campaign. "I... I..." she stammered, on the verge of tears.

Toby shot her a sympathetic glance. "Cabe, I think Allie just wants..."

"Allie can tell me herself what she wants, Doc!" exclaimed Cabe and he angrily slammed the palms of his hands on the table.

The noise startled Caitlin and she burst into tears. Toby jumped out of his seat and lifted her from her chair. "Sshhh, it's alright," he soothed, holding her close to his chest and stroking her hair tenderly. "It's alright, sweetheart, Pops is just being grumpy."

Allie glared at Cabe who, to his credit, wore a look of guilt. He hadn't meant to frighten Caitlin, of course, but he was still fuming. Allie pressed her lips tightly together, desperately trying to cling onto her composure. Neither of them said a word.

"I think we should go," said Happy, suddenly. If she'd felt uncomfortable before, she felt even worse now.

"No, wait," said Cabe. His voice was a little softer. "I'm sorry," he added, humbly. He sighed and looked at Allie. "I know I should've given you an answer already, but... look... can we talk about this later?"

Allie nodded. "If... if that's what you want," she agreed. "I know it's a big decision. I just..." she trailed off and glanced at Toby who had just put Caitlin safely back in her chair.

"What?" asked Cabe with a frown. "Why are you looking at him? Why are you guys making a big deal out of this?"

"Listen, Pops," began Toby, but Cabe scowled at him.

"You don't get to call me that, Doc," he said, pointing a warning finger. "That privilege is reserved for your little princesses."

Toby raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I can think of plenty of other names to call you," he smirked. "What I was going to say was, there's a reason why you've kept Allie waiting this long. There's something holding you back... and I'd like to help."

"You'd better cover the girls' ears again, because I'm gonna cuss," replied Cabe, tersely. "I don't need any goddamn help. Like Allie just said, it's a big decision. I want to be sure I'm making the right one, I don't need a shrink, got it?"

Toby shook his head. "Five years, Cabe," he said. "Five years you've been hanging around with geniuses, when are you gonna start to learn that we're always right? Especially me. You can't make the decision to become a foster parent, until you make peace with losing Amanda."

Allie gasped. She hadn't expected Toby to be so blunt, but she trusted that he knew what he was doing.

Cabe's face went as red as the remains of the pasta sauce on his plate. "You're wrong this time, Doc," he said through gritted teeth and he stormed out of the room.

Allie couldn't hold back her tears any more. Toby squeezed Allie's shoulder supportively. "Told you it was gonna hurt," he said.

Allie nodded. "I wish I'd never mentioned fostering at all," she said. "I hate seeing him like this."

"He needs to go through this," Toby explained. "Whatever you both decide about fostering at the end of it, he needs to let her go. It might take a little time, but we'll get him there. I promise. You have to trust me on this."

Allie nodded. "I do trust you," she said. "And Happy, I know you care about Cabe, I'm sorry I put you in that position. I appreciate you guys coming over, I really do."

"Cabe's family, we all care about him," replied Happy. "I can see something's wrong. And you guys would make great foster parents, take it from me. I'll do whatever it takes to make it happen for you."

XxXxXxXxXxX

"You've been stirring that coffee for five minutes."

Paige jumped at the sound of Toby's voice. She hadn't heard him arrive at the garage. She wasn't really sure why she'd ended up here this afternoon, she had no real work to do. She'd done a little background research on Captain Sanders for the homicide investigation, but her mind was definitely not on her work.

"So unless you're trying to open a portal to another dimension in that cup, I'd say you're worrying about something," added Toby.

"What're you doing here, you're still on parental leave?" Paige asked him, throwing the spoon into the sink. "More importantly, how long have you been shrinking me?" she added, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"Long enough to know I showed up just in time," he replied with a knowing look. "I was actually hoping to catch Walt, but I guess he's not here."

Paige shook her head. "He's gone back to the beach with Ralph," she explained. "Honestly, I'll be glad when this investigation is over, it's taking up so much of their time. I'll let him know you dropped by."

"Sorry, but you can't get rid of me that easily," Toby responded, taking off his hat and dropping it onto the table. "I need to quiz him about Cabe, but that can wait. You can't, though. Sit down, let's talk."

He took her by the shoulders and marched her towards the couch. She didn't have the energy to put up any resistance. "It's nothing," she said meekly. "What was that about Cabe, anyway?"

Toby raised his eyebrows at her as she made herself comfortable and placed her coffee cup down on the table. "Luckily I'm not a world class behaviourist, or I'd see straight through that deflection," he said. "Oh, wait, yes I am. Now, come on, there's enough tension in those shoulders to compete with Happy's winch."

Paige sighed. "Walter and I are doing so well, at least I thought we were," she began. "Communicating, I mean. It took a while, but I've learnt not to expect him to know how I feel all the time and he seems to know now that he needs to talk about his feelings too so he can understand them, but..."

"I figured there was a big but," Toby interrupted her. Then he sniggered. "Big but," he repeated.

Paige frowned and pursed her lips.

"Oh come on, Paige, it's a classic!"

"Are you Doctor Curtis today, or a fourth grader?"

Toby's face became serious again. "Sorry," he said. "Go on, tell me what happened."

"This new place," continued Paige. "Walter... even Ralph... I just don't know if I'm doing what I used to do before - pushing him into doing something he doesn't want to do, I mean. He just doesn't seem as enthusiastic about it as I thought he might."

"Walter wants to move in with you," Toby tried to reassure her. "But he still has difficulty expressing himself sometimes. I promise you, this is what he wants. Ralph too. I haven't seen any doubt markers from either of them. You're not forcing anyone into anything."

Paige smiled, reassured a little by his words. "I guess," she said. "But..."

"So, there's another big..." began Toby, but he quickly thought better of it. "Just tell me."

"He asked me this morning if... if I wanted another baby," said Paige.

"He did?" Toby was genuinely surprised. "Interesting," he noted. "Can't say I've picked up on any paternal feelings from him lately, but then with Happy's pregnancy and the adoption going through I guess my own feelings in the Daddy department have been pretty overwhelming so I could've missed it. What did you say?"

"I kind of brushed it off," replied Paige. "He made it sound like we should start trying straight away. We don't even live together yet."

"Are you sure that's what he meant?"

"I'm not sure, it came out of nowhere," replied Paige. "I'm not ready, _we're_ not ready. And what if our baby isn't mentally enabled like Ralph? Walter might struggle to connect. And what if something bad happens, like they get really sick? He's not emotionally mature enough yet to cope, is he? And second pregnancies are so much tougher on a woman's body, I'm not a teenager any more, Toby."

Toby rolled his eyes. "And what if aliens invade the planet? You missed out that excuse. Paige, your maternal instincts are firing like crazy, but your psyche is putting up barriers because of the way things went when you had Ralph. Walter is _not_ Drew. If you want a baby with Walter – and everything I'm reading from you right now tells me you do - then stop putting so much pressure on yourself. Talk to Walter and if you're certain it's what you both want then go for it! If Happy and I can be parents, then you guys sure as hell can."

"Walter isn't Drew," agreed Paige. "But Walter and I aren't you and Happy either. I wish our relationship was as easy as yours. You have this amazing connection, we don't have that."

"What? Of course you do!" replied Toby.

He was a little saddened to hear her speaking that way. She had come so far in the last year since her self-doubt had contributed considerably to almost ending her relationship with Walter, not to mention breaking up Scorpion, but it was clear she still had lingering issues. However, Paige and Walter were stronger than they'd ever been now and so were the team, so he had no serious worries, but he made a mental note to get her talking about it some more in their next scheduled therapy session.

"You just had a few more obstacles to overcome before you got here," he continued with a smile of encouragement. "Y'know, other couples would've just thrown in the towel years ago, but you both fought hard because you knew you were meant to be together."

"Sounds like you're suggesting it was fate, or destiny, or one of those other concepts you geniuses love to ridicule so much," noted Paige with a smile.

"Hey, don't tell One Ninety Seven I said this," replied Toby, leaning forward in his chair and lowering his voice as if he'd forgotten they were alone in the garage. "But I figure I'm living out my destiny with the woman I love and our family."

Paige smiled. "You're such a romantic when you're not being a jerk," she said.

"Thanks... I think," replied Toby. "Now go feather your new love nest and then do some of that open communication you and Walt are both so good at these days. If I'm not mistaken, which I never am, the pitter-patter of tiny Dineen-O'Brien feet might not be too far behind the tiny Quintis ones."

XxXxXxXxXxX

"And so we're going to catch a movie this evening and grab something to eat after... Walter... Walter, are you even listening to me?"

Sylvester had been expecting more of a reaction to his announcement that he'd asked Kimberley out on a date, but Walter had barely taken his eyes off his laptop screen.

"Hmmm... good... wait, what?"

Sylvester grinned. Finally he was listening. "I have a date with Kimberley," he repeated proudly.

Walter closed the lid of his laptop and smiled at his younger friend. "That's great, Sly," he said. "She seemed reasonably intelligent, not to mention aesthetically pleasing. I hope you have an enjoyable evening."

Sylvester's mouth dropped open. "Reasonably...? Aesthetically...? What is _wrong_ with you?"

Walter looked at him with innocent confusion. "I... I merely meant that... that if y...y...you were considering a long term relationship – marriage, for example – I think you could be very happy together."

"Walter! It's one date!" exclaimed Sylvester. "Just a date. But thank you so much for adding even more pressure." He sighed and squirted hand sanitizer into his palm.

Sylvester still couldn't quite believe he'd found the courage to ask her out in the first place. Kimberley had seemed pleased to be asked and she had quickly agreed. Sylvester had been looking forward to spending time with her, just two people enjoying each other's company in a relaxed way, but now Walter's words had terrified him. What if Kimberley's expectations were different to his?"

"Um... S...S...Sylvester," said Walter, nervously. "I believe I... I may have said the wrong thing. I apologise."

Sylvester let out a long, slow breath. "It's OK," he replied dismissively. "But next time remind me to talk about this kind of thing with Paige."

"Paige is having lunch with Ralph."

Sylvester and Walter both looked up as Patty breezed into the garage. She was carrying a large hardback book under one arm and had her tablet in her other hand.

"How is it you always know where everyone is?" asked Sylvester. "Never mind," he added, realising he didn't want to know. "What've you got there?"

"This is research," Patty replied. "For the case," she added. She slapped the book down on Walter's desk. "This book was written by Doctor Kaye Snyder, Charlie Snyder's ex," she said, pointing to the author's name on the front cover. "It's about seaweed... or something like that. I have read it yet. It's not easy to get hold of, it didn't sell many copies, but I know someone at the library who knows someone whose sister..."

"Is this relevant?" asked Walter impatiently.

Patty frowned at put her hands on her hips. "The point is this book was discredited by anyone who's anyone in the marine biology world so Doctor Snyder pulled it out of circulation before her reputation was completely ruined," she continued.

"Interesting," noted Sylvester. "Good work, Patty."

Patty beamed proudly and turned to Walter, waiting for his praise too, but her face fell when he said nothing.

"Don't mind him today," said Sylvester. "He's been in a weird mood since I got here."

Walter sat up straight. "I am not in a weird mood," he insisted. "I'm sorry if you misunderstood what I said earlier about your date, but..."

Sylvester's face went bright red and he waved his arms manically in a desperate attempt to stop Walter saying anything else, but it was too late. Patty had heard enough.

"Date?" she repeated. "What date? Oh, I know, with the lifeguard. She seems nice... but, you actually asked her on a date? Yay! Go you!"

"Yes," mumbled Sylvester. "I asked her out. We're going on a date. It's not a thing… yet."

"Apparently I should not have mentioned marriage at this stage," added Walter.

Sylvester rolled his eyes and Patty sniggered.

"What's with you anyway?" asked Sylvester. "I thought you and Paige were going to sign the papers on your new home today?"

"We are. We have an appointment at five thirty," replied Walter. "And thank you, Patty. The information you found may well have some bearing on the case. I... I'm just... it doesn't matter."

Patty shook her head. "Spill," she ordered. "Whatever you're thinking about obviously _does_ matter. A lot. Now, spit it out. You're among friends. Maybe we can help?"

The colour drained from Sylvester's face. "Or maybe Walter would prefer to keep his thoughts private?" he suggested, shooting Walter an apologetic look.

"No, Patty's right," replied Walter. "I... I could do with some advice. Patty, can I ask you a question a...a...as a woman?"

Patty's face crumpled into a confused frown. "You want to pretend you're a woman?"

"No!" exclaimed Walter, shaking his head. "I want you to be the woman."

"But... but I _am_ a woman," she replied, scrunching her nose. She was starting to wonder if this was one of those moments when she felt out of her depth amongst her genius friends.

"Yes, y...y...yes," acknowledged Walter. "Let me start again. If we can just imagine f...f...for a moment that you and I are dating and..."

"Walter, she's seventeen," Sylvester pointed out. "I'm a little uncomfortable with..."

"Oh, I see!" grinned Patty, interrupting him. "You don't just want me to be any woman, you want me to be Paige!"

Walter's face flushed pink. "Well, um, yes I suppose so," he admitted. "So, in this scenario I, as your boyfriend - and we are, at this point, very content with all aspects of our relationship, both emotional and physical... "

"Walter!" exclaimed Sylvester. "Is this much detail really necessary?"

Walter quickly shook his head. "No, no, perhaps not," he agreed. "I'm sorry, Patty. It's just, if I were to ask you if you wanted something, would you assume I meant immediately?"

Patty pondered her response for a moment. "I suppose that would depend on what the 'something' was," she said eventually.

"Say... a necklace?" offered Walter. "Or... or a baby?"

"A baby?" chorused Sylvester and Patty in unison.

Sylvester's eyes were wide with shock. "You asked Paige… oh my word!"

"You're having a baby!" shrieked Patty with delight.

"No!" Walter waved his hands in the air in an attempt to calm the excitement. "We're not... at least not yet... that is, we may do, one day... but Paige... well, I think Paige took my general, hypothetical question to mean that I wanted to expand our genetic family now. Soon. Well, in around nine months from now, I suppose."

"Did she give you an answer, or did she freak out?" asked Sylvester.

"I'm not entirely sure," admitted Walter. "Her response was... confusing."

"As a woman – which I am – my advice is that you need to talk to her," said Patty firmly. "And soon. Very soon. Tell her I exactly what you meant by it before this becomes a huge misunderstanding."

Walter nodded. "You're right, of course," he agreed. "The... the only issue is that n...n...now the subject has arisen, I'm not entirely sure what I meant at all."

Patty smiled. "You're broody," she announced. "Perfectly normal when your close friends are having babies. Ask Toby, he'll tell you I'm right."

Walter suddenly I leapt to his feet. "Patty, thank you," he said. He ran towards the door leaving Patty and Sylvester exchanging a stunned glance. "You should read that book, Sly," he called out as he disappeared out into the LA sunshine. "There's still a murder to solve, but first I need to talk to Paige about having babies!"

 ** _To be continued..._**


	12. Chapter 12 - Back to the Beach

**Cabe and Allie head back to the beach to talk and then Walter and Paige have the same idea. Meanwhile a surprise visitor brings new information to Sylvester that just might help catch the killer.**

 ** _I'm so sorry it's taken this long to write another chapter. I've just been very busy these past few weeks, but I'm hoping to be able to post more regular updates from now on. I hope this chapter has been worth the wait. I really do appreciate all your reviews._**

 **Chapter 12**

"Please come and sit down, Cabe."

Allie dug her toes into the sand and watched as Cabe stood at the shoreline, skimming stones across the waves. He didn't answer her.

They'd decided to go to the beach after Happy and Toby had left. The afternoon air was warm and still and Allie had changed into a flowery dress with spaghetti straps that she knew Cabe liked. She had packed a bottle of wine and some cheese and bread and she'd hoped they would sit together and talk and watch the sun go down, but so far Cabe had been even more distant than he'd been for days.

Allie contemplated calling his name again, but she knew he wouldn't reply so she got to her feet and walked towards him. He didn't seem to notice her approaching as he picked up another stone and weighed it up in his hands before sending it skimming across the waves.

"I've never been able to do that."

Cabe spun round at the sound of her voice. "Oh," he said, momentarily startled at having his solitude interrupted. "Let me show you." He handed her the stone and stood behind her, demonstrating the wrist action that his grandfather had first taught him as a young boy. "That's it," he said with a smile as she copied him, but he couldn't help chuckling as she sent the stone flying into the air before it landed with a splash in the ocean. "I guess you need more practice," he said.

Allie smiled, the sound of his laughter lifting her spirits like it always did. "Shall we open that wine now?" she suggested, slipping her hand into his.

Cabe nodded. He was well aware that they had come to the beach for a reason and it wasn't so he could teach her to skim stones. They walked back towards their picnic rug in silence. Cabe's mind was racing and he didn't know why. Allie was the love of his life, she completed him, she was the missing piece he didn't even realise was missing until he met her and now he was starting to think he might lose her and he couldn't risk that.

They settled on the rug and Allie handed him the bottle of wine and the corkscrew and he quickly uncorked the bottle. She produced two glasses from her bag and he filled the almost to the top. It was red wine from a local vineyard Toby had recommended to them a while ago. Allie smiled as she remembered the afternoon they'd spent touring the vineyard and how Cabe had complained that the wine tasting session was a waste of perfectly good wine.

Allie put her glass to her lips, but before she had a chance to drink Cabe took it from her hand and placed it on the sand, partially burying the stem so it wouldn't fall before doing the same with his own glass. "Baby," he said. "I love you."

It was simple declaration and one she had heard from him many times since he'd plucked up the courage to say it for the first time after they'd helped save a young couple from a plane crash, but Allie knew this time it meant so much more. "I love you too," she replied.

They kissed, Cabe's strong hand caressing the back of Allie's head as he gently pulled her closer. Allie's body tingled at his touch, the way it had they first time they'd kissed. The way it always did.

"And… and the last thing I wanted when I suggested we think about becoming foster parents was to cause you all this heartache," Allie continued when they broke for air.

Cabe took her hand in his. "This… this isn't your fault," he said. "As much as I hate to admit it, the Doc's right. When I lost Amanda…" but the words caught in his throat and he had to stop talking for a moment. Allie squeezed his fingers as he composed himself. "When I lost Amanda," he continued eventually. "I didn't know what to do. So I left, I walked away from Rebecca and the life we had. I took the easy way out."

"There's no easy way after something like that," Allie tried to reassure him. "I'm sure you did what you had to do. I can't imagine what you must have been going through."

Cabe shrugged. "Look, I don't know what all this means," he continued. "I don't know why it's all come back to me now. I figured it was in the past and… and I guess I thought it wasn't supposed to be like this after all these years. And it wasn't, for a long time, but now…" he trailed off and his eyes filled with a sadness that broke Allie's heart.

"Talk to Toby, please," urged Allie. "He can help you, you know he can. He did it before."

"It was different before," replied Cabe. "I had no clue that I was supressing memories about what happened to my father. Toby figured it out and you know how grateful I am for what he did for me. This ain't the same at all."

"No, it isn't," agreed Allie. "But I guess talking about fostering has stirred up something. I'm so sorry I did that to you."

"Hey, no, this isn't your fault!" exclaimed Cabe. "Oh, baby, no, please don't think… Look, I was having some trouble sleeping before you even mentioned fostering. Nightmares, I guess. Old memories, I don't really know. Probably just 'coz I'm gettin' old."

Allie ran her hand over his thigh. "You're not old, Cabe," she said with a warm smile.

Cabe smiled back. "What's that old saying? You're only as young as the woman you feel?" he offered, with a wink.

"Something like that," replied Allie.

Cabe tenderly placed his hands around her slim waist and she leaned into him, resting her head on his chest. "Right now I'm feelin' about fifteen years younger," he said. He let out a long, slow, sigh. "I don't want anything to ruin what we have," he said eventually.

"Maybe you could find another therapist?" suggested Allie.

"A stranger? No way!" exclaimed Cabe. "If I've really gotta talk about… y'know… personal stuff, I'd much rather do it with a… with a…"

"A friend?" Allie finished, her lips twitching into a smile.

Cabe sighed, Allie was right. Of course Toby was a friend. They bickered all the time, certainly, but Cabe trusted him. "So I'll…" he began, realising the inevitable. "I guess I'll… "

Allie pulled away from him, looking into his eyes expectantly.

"I'll go see the Doc," finished Cabe. "See if he can't fix this for me."

Allie didn't say anything, she simply kissed his lips.

"And then," continued Cabe. "Then we'll see if we can't take on a foster kid or two."

Allie threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Oh, Cabe," she breathed. "One step at a time, please. Fostering can wait, forever if necessary."

"I guess it all depends on what Toby finds in my head this time," replied Cabe with the merest hint of a chuckle. "But if it means anything to you, I think you're right. About becoming foster parents, I mean. You and me, we're a great team, Allie and if we can help out a kid in trouble, make their lives a little better, then we should try. We already parent a bunch of geniuses every day, how hard can it be?"

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

A short while later, Allie and Cabe had finished the bottle of wine and Cabe rolled up the rug as Allie slung her bag over shoulder. The sun was still just about visible over the horizon and Cabe took her hand as they began walking back towards the bus stop at the far end of the car park – neither of them would even consider driving after the wine they'd had so they had decided to catch the bus home. Allie leant her head against his shoulder as they walked. She was so happy that Cabe had agreed to try therapy again, but she knew it wasn't going to be easy for him. She made a silent promise that she would be there for him, whatever happened.

Just then they noticed a familiar vehicle pulling into the car park. "Isn't that Paige's car?" asked Allie, squinting in the fading light.

"Um, yeah," agreed Cabe.

They walked over to the car just in time to see Paige and Walter get out. Paige waved and smiled as soon as she saw them. "Hey, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Actually, we're just leaving," replied Cabe. "And we could ask you the same thing," he added.

"We've just signed all the paperwork," explained Paige. "For the new place."

"Oh that's wonderful!" exclaimed Allie and she hugged first Paige and then Walter.

Walter was still a little uncomfortable with physical displays of affection, but he was much better at it than he used to be and he even felt a sudden rush of emotion as the older woman wrapped his arms around him. "Yes," he agreed when Allie finally freed him. "Yes, it is wonderful." He glanced at Paige and smiled, matching Paige's delighted expression.

Cabe shook him warmly by the hand. "Congratulations, son," he said. "Looks like you're finally growing up."

Walter laughed and grasped Paige's hand tightly. "I… I guess I am," he said.

Paige had once accused him of having the emotional maturity of a sixteen year old. He knew now, of course, that she hadn't really meant what she'd said – at least not in the way she'd said it - and they'd long since resolved almost all of their issues, but Cabe's words made him think. He was only a few years away from being forty and yet he still lived alone in a loft apartment over his place of work. Now his life was about to change in a big way and yet somehow it felt completely natural to him. Any doubts he'd had at the start of this process were gone and he couldn't wait to wake up with Paige every morning. Now it was just a question of whether their perfect family could, or should, grow.

"You OK, son?" asked Cabe.

"Me? Oh... y...yes, I'm fine," replied Walter, realising that he'd become lost in his own thoughts.

"Great," grinned Cabe. "Well, me and my girl are headin' home. I guess we'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, kids."

"Didn't expect to see those two here this evening," commented Paige as they set off towards the beach. "I think something's been bothering Cabe lately, but he seemed much more upbeat just now."

"Nothing serious, I hope?" asked Walter with concern.

Paige shook her head and slipped her feet out of her sandals. "I don't really know," she answered. "But I'm sure Allie has everything under control. She's so good for Cabe. The old Cabe would never have gone for a romantic walk on the beach. Although," she paused, a smile spreading slowly across her lips. "Neither would the old Walter."

"P...probably not," agreed Walter. "I... I just thought, as it's such a lovely evening, that... that we could..."

Paige pressed her index finger to his lips to stop him talking. "You don't have to explain," she said. Then she moved her finger and replaced it with her lips, gently brushing against his and lingering for as long as she could.

Walter closed his eyes and allowed himself to get lost in the moment. When they eventually broke apart he took both of her hands in his and smiled warmly.

"Do you remember what I asked you this morning?" he queried.

"Walter, I may not have an eidetic memory, but I think I can remember what happened a few hours ago."

"Oh, right, of course."

"So... so I guess you want a proper answer," continued Paige. "I kinda brushed you off earlier, I'm sorry about that."

"I admit I was a little confused by your reaction," replied Walter. "But... but since this morning... that is... um, I guess what I mean is..."

"Hey, why don't we sit down?" suggested Paige.

Walter nodded and they found a sheltered spot beside a large tree. The sun had disappeared below the horizon now and the evening breeze was cooler than it had been earlier in the day. They made themselves comfortable on the sand and Paige sat close to Walter, allowing his body heat to keep her warm.

"I assume you don't m…mind coming back to this beach?" he asked her. "It's not far from… from where Charlie Snyder's body was found."

"It's far enough," replied Paige. "And besides, from what Kimberley's told us about Charlie, I don't think he'd want us to stop coming to one of our favourite place just because of what happened."

Walter nodded and slipped his arm around her shoulder. The only sounds were the gentle lapping of the waves and the leaves rustling in the breeze. They stayed like that for a while enjoying the tranquillity, neither of them wanting to interrupt each other's thoughts until finally Paige spoke.

"Are you happy?" she asked, seemingly out of nowhere. She knew she didn't need to ask, but Paige had come to realise that her insecurity would never completely go away and she just needed to hear him say it.

Fortunately, Walter was used to this now. She often needed his reassurance and he understood that now. He understood her and it didn't frighten him anymore.

"Paige, I'm so happy, I… I can't even begin to put it into words," he replied.

"I still think about what happened," said Paige. "How we almost threw everything away. I don't know what I…"

"Sshhh," Walter interrupted her. "We're s…so far away from what happened a year ago. Look at us! W…we're moving into our own home. You, me and Ralph. This… this is my dream and I don't think I even realised it until now."

"What you asked me this morning, about having another baby…" Paige began, but she didn't know how to finish. "Um… I…"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," said Walter with a smile. "That's why I wanted to come here this evening. Y…you see this morning I was simply asking out…out of curiosity," he tried to explain. "I wanted to know if you'd thought about it. About h…having more children. It's not something I've ever really considered myself. Not really. Occasionally, perhaps, b…but not seriously. Then this morning, when you didn't give me a direct answer, I… I began to realise that… that…" He trailed off, aware that he was starting to ramble.

Paige smiled at him. "My direct answer is yes," she said. "Yes, Walter, I do want another baby."

Walter's eyes lit up. "You do? That's… that's w…wonderful, Paige! B…because I do too! And I didn't know it until this morning, but I really do. Don't get me wrong, I love Ralph and I always will, but, well I… I can't say I understand how I'm feeling right now… I suppose it's a primal instinct to procreate – I guess I'll check that with Toby – but I want to have a baby with you. Our child. A…and I don't want to wait. I want to start trying right now, because there's always the… the possibility that we could have difficulty conceiving like Happy and Toby in which case w…we'll need to look at fertility treatment. I guess the probability is low, b…but it could happen and…"

"Walter, stop!" Paige held up her hand to silence him. "Please," she added.

Walter could have kicked himself. Even in the moonlight he could tell by the look on her face that he'd gone completely over the top, rambling about fertility treatment of all things. "I'm sorry," he said, quietly.

"It's OK," she tried to reassure him. "It's just that I guess I wasn't expecting this from you. I kind of assumed you didn't want a biological child. I don't know why? I guess because we've never talked about this before."

"You're right, we haven't," agreed Walter. "But…but it was an oversight. This is exactly the kind of thing we should talk about. This is important, Paige."

Their relationship had been far from straightforward, but Walter felt they were ready to make this commitment. To create a new life together, to nurture a child together. Paige was right, they hadn't talked about it before, but now Walter was almost overwhelmed by emotions he couldn't make sense of and he really needed to talk about it.

Paige smiled and cupped the side of his face in her hand. "Oh, Walter," she said. "It is important so… so that's why we shouldn't rush into anything. I'm just not sure if we should start trying for a baby straight away."

"I…I sort of assumed we'd at least wait until we got back to the garage," joked Walter, trying to hide his disappointment.

Paige laughed. "I'm not talking about forever, I just need time to process this, that's all," she tried to explain. "I promise I won't keep you waiting too long. I do really, really, want us to have a baby, I just want the timing to be right. When I had Ralph the timing was so wrong and… and I guess even though everything is different now, those memories are hard to shake off. Does that make any sense?"

Walter leaned in and captured her lips in a kiss. She was wearing flavoured lip balm – cherry, if he wasn't mistaken – and the taste heightened his senses. A wave of emotion engulfed him and he found himself having to pull away to gather his thoughts. "I…I didn't mean to put any p…pressure on you," he said. "This time yesterday, the… the idea of having a b…baby hadn't even entered my thoughts."

"Then maybe you should take some time too?" suggested Paige. "This isn't a decision you're supposed to come to in less than twenty four hours."

"You're right, of course," agreed Walter. "B…but I think this is what I've always wanted. I just never understood before."

Paige threw her arms around him. "I love you, Walter O'Brien," she said and he held her tightly.

"Reciprocated."

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Sylvester double-checked the door of the garage for the third time. It was definitely locked.

Definitely.

No doubt about it… except…

He tried it one more time. Just to be sure.

"Good," he mumbled, satisfied at last that the building was secure. "Don't want to keep her waiting."

Sylvester had spent almost two hours preparing for his date with Kimberley, over half an hour of which had been styling his hair. His hair wasn't really something he usually spent time on, but this evening had been different and he'd combed, styled, gelled and sprayed it to the point of no return. It was at that moment he'd remembered he'd left the chocolates he'd bought for Kimberley at the garage and he'd raced back to collect them. Now he just had enough time to catch the bus and still be on time to meet her.

He turned to head towards the bus stop, but almost jumped out of his skin as he came face to face with someone he didn't immediately recognise in the semi-darkness.

"Sorry, sir," said the young man he'd almost bumped into. "Didn't meant to, like, scare you or anything. I'm looking for Scorpion?"

It was then that Sylvester recognised the face. "Oh my, it's you!" he exclaimed. "You're Josh! The one who drowned! I mean, of course you didn't actually drown, at least not in a fatal way. Was that insensitive? I'm sorry."

Josh stood with his mouth open as Sylvester spoke all in a rush, without leaving him a chance to get a word in edgeways.

"I'm just surprised to see you, that's all," continued Sylvester. "Are you OK? Do you want to come in? I was just leaving, but I can catch the next bus. I have a date. I'm kinda nervous, I shouldn't be, she's very sweet, we've already talked a lot and I got her these chocolates as a gift. Do you think she'll like them?"

Josh waited for a moment, just to be sure that he'd finished talking. "Um, yeah, like, I guess," he replied eventually. "See my friend told me you guys are, like, investigating the murder of that lifeguard," he said, determined to say what he had to say while he had the chance. "Y'see, I've been having, like, nightmares and I figured it was normal 'coz, like, I almost died, right? And then I realised today that I've actually been, like, remembering stuff and it's kinda weird and so I figured I should, like, tell you guys 'coz on TV they always solve a homicide with totally random clues."

Sylvester frowned in puzzlement. "Are you saying you have information that may be pertinent to this case?" he asked.

"Um, I dunno about that," replied Josh. "But I do know that I was, like, tangled up in, like, this stuff underwater and that's why I couldn't, like, swim back up and that's never happened to me before."

"Tangled?" repeated Sylvester. Then his eyes widened as he realised the potential significance of what Josh was saying. "Tangled in what, exactly?"

"I… I have no idea."

"Do you think it could have been seaweed?"

"Um… like, I guess."

Sylvester fumbled in his pocket for his phone. "I need to call Walter. I just hope he's not too busy making a baby."

 _To be continued..._


	13. Chapter 13 - Soul Baring

**Walter has a lot to think about, Sylvester goes on a date and Toby and Happy have an early morning with the twins.**

 ** _Thank you to everyone who is still reading and reviewing this story, I really appreciate all your comments. With any luck updates will appear more quickly from now on. I hope you enjoy this chapter._**

 **CHAPTER 13**

"Sorry about our date."

"We can go another time, Sylvester." Kimberley looked into his eyes as she spoke. "This could be important."

Kimberley had been disappointed and confused to receive Sylvester's text message asking her to meet him at the garage instead of the movie theatre, but as soon as she realised it was related to the ongoing investigation she understood.

"Josh came all the way here to talk to us," replied Sylvester. "I couldn't turn him away."

Kimberley glanced over towards the couch. "Are you sure Toby knows what he's doing?" she asked.

Sylvester followed her gaze. He'd seen Toby hypnotise people before and Josh had readily agreed to the process so he was confident it would be successful.

"When I count to three, you'll be back in the room," said Toby in a low, calm voice. "One, two, three."

Josh opened his eyes and blinked deeply. He pushed himself to a sitting position on the red couch and looked slowly around the garage before his wide eyes settled back on Toby. "Woah," he said.

"You OK, pal?" asked Toby.

Josh nodded. "That was, like, weird," he said.

"And a waste of time," noted Walter. "His focus during his time in the ocean appears to have been on his female companion's décolletage."

Walter's temper was short after being dragged away from his evening with Paige. She had decided to go straight home and enjoy a soak in the bath and Walter was trying not to get distracted by his thoughts, but every part of him was dying to get back to her.

Happy nodded. "So all the kid remembers from the day he almost died is his girlfriend in a bikini."

"Kelly's not my girlfriend," insisted Josh.

"Kinda makes it worse," Happy pointed out. She folded her arms across her chest and raised her eyebrows towards the teenager.

Josh's cheeks flushed and he turned back to Toby, keen to change the focus of the conversation. "I thought you said I'd, like, totally remember what I saw when I was underwater? You sure you did it right, dude?"

"Y'know, maybe I didn't?" retorted Toby. "Maybe I'm just a quack and when Sly called me I figured dragging my wife and kids all the way over here to mess with your head was a good way to spend my evening?"

"I definitely remember getting dragged under the water," Josh reminded him.

But Toby wasn't listening. He was on his feet, standing in front of Happy. He clutched her shoulders and his eyes were wide. "I… I have a wife and kids," he half-whispered, smiling lovingly at her. "I have a wife and kids."

His comment to Josh had flowed so naturally from his mouth that the significance of his own words had taken a few seconds to sink in.

"I love you," he added and he had to swallow hard to quell his emotions.

Happy raised herself onto her tiptoes and kissed him tenderly. She hadn't thought twice about Toby's words either, but now she realised how important they were to her too. They really were a family now, husband, wife and two children - soon to be three. She knew, of course, that families came in a huge variety of different shapes and sizes, but to Happy the old fashioned nuclear family unit was special because it was the one thing she had wanted so desperately as a child and never had.

They broke apart and both instinctively turned to look at the twins who were sleeping contentedly in their double stroller. "Love you too, Doc," said Happy.

Walter was transfixed by their interaction, almost mesmerised by the way they looked adoringly at the sleeping girls. He swallowed hard as a sudden feeling washed over him. He wanted what they had and he wanted it now. With Paige. He loved Ralph as his own son, but Ralph was a young man now and starting to make his own way in the world and Walter knew he had more love to give. He had rambled about procreating earlier at the beach, but now his thoughts and feelings were beginning to coalesce.

Toby caught Walter's eye as he headed back towards a slightly bemused Josh, and smirked as he quickly read Walter's expression. Walter glared back and shook his head, he didn't want to discuss this with Toby, not now anyway. His mind was suddenly full of excitement and yet fear, anticipation and yet anxiety, elation and yet trepidation and he had no idea how to process any of it. He longed to get back to Paige so that she could help him make sense of it all.

"N…n…nothing unusual showed up in the water samples," said Walter, quickly dragging everyone's attention – including his own - back to the investigation. "But based on Josh's statement, we… we should make a visual inspection. Now." His desire to be with Paige tonight would have to wait a little longer.

"A swim in the ocean in the dark, what a really, _really_ safe idea, One Ninety Seven," smirked Toby. "I'll get my Speedos."

Walter sneered at him. "Alright, maybe we should wait until morning," he admitted, relieved that Toby had been the one to quash his idea before he'd had to do it himself.

"So, can I, like, go now?" asked Josh.

"Sure," agreed Toby. "But… um…" A grin twitched at the corner of his lips. "Don't go chasing any cats."

Josh's face fell into a frown. "Cats?" he repeated. "Wait, I've seen this on TV…. you didn't, like, put something in my head to make me bark like a dog when you say some dumb a trigger word… did you?"

"Me?" replied Toby, innocently. "Would I do something like that?"

"Yes!" chorused Walter, Happy and Sylvester in unison.

"Hey," responded Toby with mock indignation, but then he slowly turned back to Josh and locked his gaze with the teenager before adding a single word. "Cauliflower."

The room fell silent as everyone held their breaths. No one really believed Toby would play such a trick on a kid they barely knew… would he…?

Josh froze… and waited…

But nothing happened.

Toby pressed his lips together for the briefest of moments, but eventually he couldn't hold back any longer and he spluttered as a deep guffaw exploded from his mouth, followed by a high pitched wail of laughter. "Your face!" he exclaimed. "All of you! You should've seen yourselves! Oh that was a classic."

Happy stepped forward and knocked his hat from his head. "Jerk," she snapped, but Toby caught the twinkle in her eye and knew she had found it at least a little amusing. He couldn't help the smug grin that formed at his lips as he bent over to pick up his hat

"I'll make sure you get home safely, there's a bus in eleven minutes," said Sylvester, addressing Josh. "We really appreciate you coming here to talk to us. I'm sorry about Toby."

Josh shrugged. "It's cool. Getting hypnotised was, like, actually kinda fun," he replied. "Beats dying in the ocean, anyway," he added, flippantly.

Sylvester shuddered. Drowning was one of his worst fears… and he had a lot of fears. He couldn't help but admire the way Josh was recovering from his ordeal. He turned to Kimberley. "Sorry we missed the movie," he said.

"That's OK," replied Kimberley with a smile. "We can still grab some dinner… if you want to, that is?"

"Sure."

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Hey, you're back!"

Walter had barely closed the door of the condo behind him when Paige appeared wearing nothing but a towel. Her hair was wet and her face glistened with freshly applied moisturiser.

"Y…yes, I am," replied Walter, barely able to get the words out. "D…did you enjoy your… your…"

Paige giggled. "Walter O'Brien, you're acting like a teenager who's never seen a woman in a towel before," she said, sucking her lower lip in between her teeth in a move she knew made him go weak at the knees.

Walter cleared his throat. "I… I… um… talking of teenagers, Josh was able to s…supply some information that may be p…per...pertinent."

Paige smiled and nodded. "I'm glad," she replied. "I'll be glad when this investigation is over."

Walter took a deep breath and tried to pull himself together. "Happy and Toby brought the twins," he told her.

Paige stepped forward and surprised him with a kiss. "Walter, we talked about this," she said. "You can't go getting broody every time you see Toby and Happy with their babies. We'll get there, we'll have what they have, we're just a little way behind them, that's all. They've been married for two years now, remember."

"M…married… yes, of course," replied Walter and he turned away from her for a moment.

"Walter?" said Paige, frowning at his sudden distance. "Earth to Walter?"

"What?"

"Where did you go?" Paige's frown deepened as she spoke.

"Nowhere?" Walter replied, his expression of confusion now mirroring hers. Then the familiar scent of lavender, chamomile and honey suddenly overwhelmed his senses. She had used all her favourite beauty products and the smell was highly stimulating.

"How about we go somewhere now?" suggested Paige. She slipped her hand into his and squeezed tightly.

"I'll wait for you t…to get dressed," answered Walter, missing her point entirely. "Where would you like to go?"

Paige laughed and shook her head. "I wasn't thinking of going far," she replied. "Somewhere close by… somewhere we've been before." Without taking her eyes off him she released the corner of the towel and it fell to the floor.

Walter's mouth fell open. He was always taken aback by the sight of her naked and tonight she looked particularly beautiful to him. He stepped forward and rested his hands on her hips. "Oh, I see," he mumbled, pressing a kiss to her collarbone. "I… I think I would like to… to go there too."

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Tell me about Megan."

Sylvester almost choked on his pasta.

"Oh… oh my god, I'm so sorry," said Kimberley, handing him a glass of water.

Sylvester took two gulps, waving his free hand apologetically in front of her. "No… no, it's OK," he insisted. He glanced round and smiled at the waiter who was looking a little concerned. "I'm fine," he added.

"That was totally insensitive of me," Kimberley continued. "It's just, when I stayed at your place you talked about her a little and… and…"

Sylvester smiled. "I'm happy to talk about Megan," he said. "I love talking about her. She was such a special person. It's just that I… I suppose I didn't expect you to… I mean I…"

"I can be a little blunt at times," admitted Kimberley. "I guess it's not one of my best features."

"I like it," responded Sylvester, trying his hardest not to blush. "And you don't need to apologise. Megan will always be a part of me."

"So she was Walter's sister, right?"

"Yes. Older sister. She was much older than me," explained Sylvester. "I mean, not that old, but… well, if the circumstances had been different I don't know if we…" he trailed off.

Sylvester had often wondered if the age gap would have been a barrier had Megan been fit and healthy. They'd met in such difficult circumstances and their love had grown so quickly that it had been irrelevant, but something inside him told him that she would always have been a special person in his life and that filled him with warmth.

"It's so sad," said Kimberley. She didn't really know what else to say and she was beginning to regret bringing up the subject of his late wife. She reached out and touched his hand, but Sylvester snatched it away.

Kimberley gasped and looked horrified.

"Oh… oh, Kimberley, I'm sorry," said Sylvester. "I didn't mean to… I… I… I'm a germophobe," he reminded her. "I still struggle with… well, you just saw."

"I was being too forward," replied Kimberley. "It's just… I like you, Sylvester and… and I wanted you to know."

This time Sylvester couldn't help blushing hard. "Oh... oh…" he stammered. "I… I…"

Kimberley giggled. She found his awkwardness incredibly endearing. Sylvester was unlike any of her previous boyfriends – not that she'd had many and certainly no serious ones – but the more she got to know him the more she was attracted to him. "I was being blunt again," she admitted. "But it's the truth. I like you, a lot and I'm really enjoying our date."

Sylvester nodded and took two deep breaths. He hadn't struggled with his anxiety in a long time and for a moment he was worried he was going to have a panic attack, but then he realised that this was an entirely different feeling. His heart was beating fast and his chest was tight, but in a crazy kind of way this felt good. He hadn't felt like this since…

"I admire you for being able to… to speak out about… about how you feel," said Sylvester. He took another deep breath. "There was someone… a girl… and I had feelings for her, but I didn't say anything. For months. And in the end my feelings became all confused in my head and I wound up declaring my undying love for her. It was silly. One of the biggest mistakes of my life."

"Oh no, how awful," said Kimberley, sympathetically. "I guess she didn't feel the same way?"

"No," admitted Sylvester. "But… it was my fault. If I'd only talked to her sooner, maybe we could have… maybe… I mean something might have happened, or it might not have. The thing is, I'll never know. And in all honesty it was probably for the best that she left. I wasn't in love with her, not in the way I thought I was anyway."

Sylvester let out a slow breath. He couldn't quite believe he had admitted all of that to Kimberley. He barely knew her, but he felt comfortable in her presence and it had felt right to open up to her. Once thing he had learnt after the mess with Florence was that communication was the key to any relationship. Walter and Paige were shining examples of that… and how lack of communication could cause catastrophic damage. They had been able to repair the damage, but it had taken a long time.

In the end, he and Florence had parted as friends and deep down Sylvester knew that had been the right thing for the both of them, but he never wanted to make the same mistake again. His feelings for Florence, no matter how confused, had opened his eyes to the possibility of falling in love with someone after Megan. Florence hadn't been the right person, he knew that now, but he also knew that what happened with her was all part of his journey to recovery. He hadn't dealt with losing Megan as well as he thought he had. Toby had helped him to understand what had happened a year ago and not to blame himself – although he still blamed himself a little – but he now felt free from the weight of being a widower and empowered to take control of his life.

Whether Kimberley would factor in his life he didn't know, but he was ready and willing to find out.

"You're a very sweet man," smiled Kimberley. "I… I'd really like to touch your hand now. Is that OK?"

Sylvester smiled warmly. People often shied away from him once they'd seen his OCD and germophobic ways rear their ugly heads, but Kimberley was different. He couldn't express how much it meant to him to hear her ask his permission in such a direct way. She didn't seem phased by him at all. "Of course it's OK," he said. "But… but I will probably use hand sanitiser afterwards," he admitted with a tiny grin.

Kimberley laughed. "That's OK," she said. She reached across the table again and covered his hand with hers. "Is this alright?" she asked.

Sylvester nodded. "Yes," he replied. It was the only word he could get out of his mouth. This was more than alright, he realised. Her touch was electrifying. "If… if you've finished eating, we could… we could go for a walk, maybe?" he suggested. "Although it's late, if you'd rather get home…"

"No!" she interrupted him. "I don't want to go home," she said. The truth was she still felt nervous being alone in her apartment after the break-in, but there was more to her declaration than just that. She didn't want this night to end.

Sylvester paid the bill and they left the restaurant hand-in-hand and headed for the beach. "Are you warm enough?" he asked her as they made themselves comfortable on the sand.

"Mmmm," replied Kimberley. "You know, you haven't used that hand sanitiser yet," she pointed out.

"I know," he replied and without missing a beat he slipped his arm around her shoulder and they stayed like that until dawn.

xXxXxXxXxX

"Stella, I'm trying to change your diaper!" Happy glared at her daughter, amazed at just how wriggly a one year old could be first thing in the morning.

"And yelling at her is _totally_ gonna help," retorted Toby, smiling at Caitlin who was being far more co-operative than her sister.

"I wasn't yelling," retorted Happy. "I was exerting my authority. Didn't you read any of those parenting books you insisted we buy?"

"Of course, Sugarplum," replied Toby. "But I guess you didn't get to the chapters on reinforcement, or avoiding escalation."

"Too tired to read," replied Happy. She took a deep breath and pulled a funny face at Stella who immediately giggled. "Yes, got your attention," grinned Happy, sticking her tongue out at the little girl. "Don't know how long I can keep this up," she added, grabbing some cotton wool before wriggling her nose and crossing her eyes. Stella squealed with delight, captivated by her antics.

"Now you're getting it, Mommy," smiled Toby. He had already finished changing Caitlin and quickly got her dressed. "Aren't you a good girl for Daddy," he smiled, rewarding her with a kiss on her nose. "I guess I forgive you for keeping me up half the night."

"Keeping _you_ up?" replied Happy incredulously. "Where were you at ten past three this morning? Or four fifteen, or five past six? I'm pregnant, Doc, you're the one who keeps telling me I need to rest!"

"Not my fault if you don't wake me," shrugged Toby, lifting Caitlin into his arms.

"Maybe you could hypnotise our kids into sleeping all night?" offered Happy, grimacing as Stella pulled off the sock she'd just struggled to get onto her left foot.

Toby's brow furrowed. "Hmmm, you may have something there, Lovebug," he replied.

"I was kidding," responded Happy, picking up a clean babygro. "Doesn't hypnotising babies go against shrink ethics?"

"Oh yeah, totally unethical," he agreed. "But I do have a theory. Leave it with me, I'm gonna do some research."

Happy hoped whatever idea her husband was formulating actually worked, because if she didn't get a good night's sleep soon someone was going to bear the brunt of an exhaustion-fuelled outburst.

Just then there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it," said Happy, taking Caitlin from Toby's arms before he had time to protest. "You can take over here."

Toby chuckled and wandered over to Stella. "Your Mommy is good with machines," he began. Stella smiled at the sound of his voice and Toby tickled her tummy. "She's the best engineer there is, but… well, she's not so good with human beings, especially the small ones. But she's learning, OK? So I need you to help me out a little. We'll figure out some kind of deal. Extra bubbles in your bathtub? How does that sound?"

"Toby!"

Toby scooped up Stella and walked out of the room towards the sound of Happy's voice. His pace slowed as soon as he saw their early morning visitor.

"Cabe…"

"Don't start on me, Doc," Cabe interrupted him. His face was red and he was dripping with sweat. "I just went out for a run and… "

"Where did you run to?" asked Toby, looking him up and down. "Mexico?"

Cabe glared at him. "Shut up, Doc. Look, this ain't easy for me. Y'see last night Allie and I talked… a lot, but… and… well, running always gives me time to do a little thinking." He paused to wipe his forehead with the back of his hand. "And I think… I think I'm gonna take you up on your offer."

Toby smiled warmly. "So you're agreeing to more therapy?"

Cabe frowned. "I'm agreeing to sit down a talk with you about Amanda, that's all," he said.

"Good call, Roomie," said Happy with a nod of approval.

Cabe let out a slow breath. He had no idea if he was doing the right thing, but the people who cared about him seemed to think he was and so he owed it to them to try.

Toby moved Stella onto his hip and offered his free hand to Cabe. "You won't regret this," he said sincerely.

Cabe's grasp was tight as he shook Toby's hand. "I'd better not, Doc," he replied. "Or your ass will be in therapy for the rest of its life after my foot's finished with it."

Toby was taken aback at how much fear he could read from Cabe. He knew the older man was scared about the prospect of bearing his soul to him for the second time, but until that moment Toby hadn't realised quite how terrified he was.

"Cabe," said Toby, his voice suddenly gentle and reassuring. "I'll take good care of you. I promise."

 _To be continued..._


	14. Chapter 14 - Seaweed and Therapy

**-Back at the beach again,** **Sylvester has a heart to heart with Paige and Allie. Then Cabe starts his therapy with Toby.-**

 _ **Thank you, as always, to everyone who is reading this story. I'm so grateful for all your reviews! I hope you all enjoy this new chapter.**_

 **CHAPTER 14.**

"Are you sure you wouldn't prefer to stay on dry land, son?" Cabe strapped his diving mask and snorkel around his head as he spoke. "You know you're not the greatest swimmer."

"I'll be fine," replied Walter, fumbling with his own mask. "I don't want you going in alone after... after everything that's happened. B...besides, we won't be long. Either we'll find the seaweed - and I'll only need to collect a small sample - or we won't."

Cabe nodded. "OK," he agreed. "But, um, you might find it easier if your snorkel's the right way up."

"Here, let me," said Paige with a smile and she quickly sorted it out. "There, now please be careful."

"Both of you," added Allie, touching Cabe's bare arm.

"Don't worry, baby," smiled Cabe. "We'll be talking to Sly on that thing the whole time." He nodded towards the tablet Sylvester was clutching.

"The whole time," Walter confirmed, waving his own tablet in the air. The waterproof casing creaked a little and Paige frowned. "It's fine," Walter reassured her.

"OK, son, let's go," said Cabe and he walked into the surf with Walter close behind.

Sylvester let out a shuddery breath as the two of them swam out a little way into deeper water. "I hope Walter was right about this location," he said. "My original calculations said forty feet that way." He pointed back along the shoreline, closer to the spot where they'd rescued Josh.

"Walter knows what he's doing," replied Paige, her eyes fixed firmly on the water as she spoke. "He said something about undercurrents."

"But I factored in the undercurrents," Sylvester replied. Then his tablet beeped. "Oh, it's them. _Nothing yet... going further out_ ," he read from the screen.

"Why don't we sit down and wait?" suggested Allie. She couldn't explain the uneasy feeling she had as she watched Cabe and Walter swim away from them.

Sylvester nodded and he sat on the sand, with Paige and Allie taking up positions either side of him.

"So, how did your date go?" asked Paige with a smile. "I've been dying to ask you all morning."

"It... it went well," replied Sylvester.

Allie pushed him gently on the arm. "Come on, Sly, we need details," she urged.

Sylvester blushed hard. "It... it went very well," he said.

Paige rolled her eyes. "Men!" she exclaimed. "I guess we'll have to quiz Kimberley the next time we see her." She paused to gauge his reaction. "I take it there will be a next time, right?"

"Yes," Sylvester responded, a tiny smile dancing at the corners of his lips. "Yes, at least I... I hope so."

"That's great!" exclaimed Paige. "I thought you were in a good mood today. If a little tired. I take it you didn't get much sleep last night?" She looked at him with wide eyes, waiting for his response.

"Paige!" he exclaimed. "You... y...you don't think that... I mean, we didn't... oh golly, you think..."

"Relax, Sly," grinned Paige. "I'm just teasing. I'm sorry."

Sylvester let out a slow breath, but the smile returned to his lips. "We had a… a… very nice evening. We… spent most of it here, at the beach. We just sat and talked. It was… it was great. Kimberley's great. I feel… I feel… I guess I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I feel…"

"You feel happy," smiled Allie. "And you deserve it," she added.

"She just accepts me," said Sylvester. "It was so easy, just talking to her, I didn't feel uncomfortable, or anxious at all, not really. I haven't felt like that since… since…"

"Megan?" offered Paige.

Sylvester nodded. "After last year… Florence… I was an idiot. The dumbest genius on earth…"

"Oh, I think that accolade goes to Walter, don't you?" grinned Paige.

Sylvester laughed. "Maybe," he conceded. "I'm a close second, though. Anyway, what I mean is, although there was never anything between Florence and me - and realistically there was never going to be – I realised back then that I wanted to feel… _something_ , again and last night I started to think that maybe… I don't really know how to put it into words? I wanted to feel…"

"Whole?" offered Allie. "That's how I feel when I'm with Cabe," she added, blushing lightly. "And it's taken me so long to find that person, I'd almost given up, but then Cabe Gallo walked into my life."

"I haven't really got anything to add to that," said Paige, her voice suddenly cracking with emotion. "You both know how I feel about Walter, everyone does. Our relationship has played out in front of all of you, all the ups and downs, the ridiculous drama, but despite everything he and I are one, we're meant to be together… for always."

Sylvester smiled broadly and pulled her into a hug. "You guys," he said. "You've given us so many scares! And I don't need any more!"

He released Paige, but only long enough to throw his arm around Allie and pull her into the group hug.

"I can't promise anything," said Paige, smiling as the warmth of their love filled her heart. "With me and Walter you never know! But if anything else happens we'll get through it, we always do and right now, everything feels so good. So good." Another wave of emotion washed over her and Sylvester sensed it and tightened his grip.

Allie was the first to break away. "Wow," she said, swallowing hard to quell her own emotions. "I didn't expect this today."

Sylvester and Paige broke apart and laughed. "I just thought we were here to help the guys look for seaweed," said Sylvester, wiping his damp eyes with the palm of his hand. "And now we're all crying!"

"It's just so lovely to see you like this," said Paige, squeezing his hand. "The start of something new and exciting for you, I couldn't be happier for you."

"Me too," added Allie. "But talking of our boys, has there been any communication from them while we were sitting here getting all sappy?"

Sylvester picked up his tablet and glanced at the screen. "Oh, Walt says they've found something and they're on their way back."

The three of them got to their feet and looked out to sea just as Cabe and Walter swam back towards the shore. Cabe was the first one to realise he was in shallower water and he righted himself and strode purposefully out of the ocean.

Allie couldn't help but smile at the sight of her handsome man - half naked, with water dripping from his muscular arms - walking across the sand towards her. She picked up a towel and greeted him with a kiss, lingering for a moment longer than Cabe expected as she acknowledged how lucky she was to have him in her life. Then she threw the towel over his shoulders just as Walter stumbled out of the water, almost tripping over the trail of wet, dark green foliage he was carrying in his arms.

"Walter!" exclaimed Paige, stifling a giggle at his clumsiness as she skipped across the sand with his towel in her hand. "I guess you found your seaweed," she noted, draping the towel – and herself - around his neck.

"Indeed," agreed Walter, slightly confused at her unexpected display of affection. He dropped the bundle onto the sand and pulled his mask and snorkel from his head. "It's a little further out than I anticipated, but… but I think I know why all our calculations were off."

"Our calculations are never off," retorted Sylvester. "You already overrode my original figures, what aren't you telling us, Walter?"

"A…a…and I think this narrows down our list of suspects," continued Walter, ignoring Sylvester's question. "Let's get back to the garage, I need to run a few tests on… on these new samples and - as much as I hate to say this – I'll need Toby's help."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Pretty please, with sugar on top?"

"Toby, I already said please." Walter frowned at him as he spoke and thrust a handful of wet leaves at him before starting to clear his workbench.

"I know," agreed Toby, reluctantly taking the leaves out of his hands. "But I just want to hear you asking for my help again. So, we'll try it one more time. Toby, my old friend… come on, Walt, repeat after me: Toby, my old friend."

Walter sighed. "Toby, my old friend," he reluctantly repeated, resigned to the fact that this was the only way he was going to get the help he needed.

"As you are an expert in the fields of botany and biology," continued Toby, grinning broadly.

"As you are …"

"An jackass!" Happy interrupted, much to Walter's relief. She grabbed Toby by the shoulders and shoved him towards Walter. "Here, Walt, you can have my husband for as long as you need him," she said.

"But I didn't get to the part where he has to beg for my help!" whined Toby.

"We're trying to catch a murderer here," Walter reminded him. He lifted a crate of test tubes onto the desk and started to unpack the equipment he needed.

"OK, I know, I know," agreed Toby. "But remember, I'm supposed to be on leave," he added.

"I remember, I… I was looking forward to a whole week without you," retorted Walter.

Toby grinned and slapped him affectionately on the back. "You know you don't mean that, pal," he said. Walter just sneered and went to find some more equipment.

Happy leaned over to Toby and spoke in a low voice. "Just get it over with," she said. "Remember you have your first session with Cabe this afternoon."

"I haven't forgotten," replied Toby, seriously. "I won't let him down."

"You'd better not," warned Happy. Of course she knew Toby wouldn't, but she felt the need to say it anyway.

She glanced across the garage to where Patrick and Cabe were sitting on the rug with Caitlin and Stella. The two men were trying to construct a plastic railway track, but the girls seemed intent on taking it apart faster than they could put it together. Even though Patrick was permanently back in her life now, Happy still held a deep affection for Cabe, thinking of him – as the whole team did – as their surrogate father. She glanced back to Toby who gave her a reassuring smile, before she walked into the kitchen where Allie and Paige were making lunch.

"Patrick seems to have really taken to being a grandparent," noted Allie with a smile.

"Yeah," agreed Happy. "I guess he's making up for… well, y'know."

"I know," said Allie with a sympathetic nod. "You're both so lucky to have found each other again."

On the rug, Stella held a plastic train in the air triumphantly while Caitlin handed a piece of track to Cabe.

"Thank you, sweetheart," smiled Cabe and he put it down on the rug with the other pieces. Caitlin immediately picked it up again and handed it back to him.

Patrick laughed. "This could take a while," he noted.

"Sure will," agreed Cabe. "I thought they'd enjoy watching the train run round the track, but I guess taking the track apart is much more fun."

"Happy used to take stuff apart all the time when she was this age," Patrick told him. "We didn't have much, but everything we did have was in pieces. Course I had no idea she was a genius, I just figured she was a mischievous kid."

Cabe could just imagine a one year old Happy Quinn taking her toys apart, desperate to learn how they worked. He grinned at Patrick, but the other man's face was serious and Cabe's expression quickly changed to match it. "You OK?" he asked.

"Sure," replied Patrick, dismissively. "Just thinking, y'know… thinking would I have tried harder to keep her if I'd known? If I'd known that she was different. I thought I was doing the right thing, giving her up, I mean, but…"

"Hey, we all try to do the best by our kids," Cabe answered. "You did the best you could, that's all any parent can do."

"When I handed her over to the orphanage…" Patrick began, but he paused to collect his thoughts before continuing and Stella took the opportunity to climb onto his lap. "That day," he continued eventually, stroking Stella's hair gently as he spoke. "As I walked away from my beautiful daughter I assumed I'd never see her again. I figured she wouldn't want to know me when she found out that I'd abandoned her. But… but she came looking for me after all this time and, well, now here we are. I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, Cabe and I feel like I've been given a second chance. I don't know if I deserve it, but I'm sure as hell gonna make the most of it."

Cabe smiled warmly at him. "Sure you deserve it," he said.

Cabe loved Happy like she was his own daughter and now she had Patrick back in her life he couldn't be more delighted for them both, but knowing he'd never get the chance to see Amanda again tore him apart. Just to see her smile one more time, to stroke her hair the way Patrick was stroking Stella's, to read her a story to make up for all the times he'd been too late home and she'd already fallen asleep. He knew it was impossible, of course, but the empty feeling inside him was rapidly becoming too much to bear.

Cabe glanced across the garage to where Toby and Walter were running experiments on the samples they'd collected that morning. Toby had draped a long trail of seaweed over his head and was strutting up and down, pouting and posing like Marilyn Monroe, much to Walter's annoyance. Cabe couldn't quite believe that in less than three hours this was the man who was going to help him heal his tortured soul.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Come in, Cabe. Make yourself at home."

Toby closed the door behind him as Cabe walked into the apartment. Toby was pleased to note he had changed into jeans and a casual t-shirt instead of his more usual suit and tie, it showed he was trying to make himself feel as comfortable as possible. It was a good sign.

"At least it's more spacious than the trailer," noted Cabe, slumping down onto the sofa and thinking back to the last time he'd had therapy sessions with Toby.

"All that chintz kinda cramps my style anyway," replied Toby. "Can I get you anything? Coffee?"

"Coffee," agreed Cabe. He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans and tried desperately to relax. He was just going to talk to Toby. It was no big deal. Just talk. He could do this.

"Patrick's taken the girls to the park," Toby called from the kitchen as he poured Cabe's coffee. "And Hap's downstairs doing an oil change on the bike."

"So no interruptions then," replied Cabe. He was grateful. So far the only people who knew he was here were Allie, Toby and Happy and he wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible. He knew secrets never stayed secret for very long at Scorpion, but he wanted at least to get this first session out of the way before he had to start dealing with the others knowing he was back in therapy.

"Nope," agreed Toby, as he walked back into the room carrying two steaming mugs. He handed one to Cabe and set the other one down on the table before picking up his black notebook and a pen and settling himself on the chair. "I know how hard this is for you," he said, earnestly. "And I appreciate you putting your trust in me again."

"Yeah, well, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Allie," replied Cabe. "I'm doing this for her."

"Allie loves you – don't ask me why, but she does," replied Toby with a smirk. "And she knows what you need. More than you know yourself."

Cabe shrugged. "I guess," he replied. "So, where do we start?"

"Wherever you feel comfortable," Toby explained. "There's no right or wrong way to do this. You know why you're here, so just take a couple of deep breaths and talk to me."

Cabe inhaled deeply and his mind was suddenly filled with images of Amanda. Her first birthday, days out at the beach, her school plays, the day she died…

"Cabe?"

"Sorry, Doc…" Cabe released the breath he was holding.

"What's going through your mind?" probed Toby, gently.

"I think about her every day," began Cabe. "I guess I always have, ever since the day we lost her, but lately… I dunno, it's like she's haunting me, Doc."

Toby scribbled Cabe's words in his notebook, it was an interesting turn of phrase and he would definitely need to come back to it another time, but not right now. "Tell me about her," prompted Toby. "Tell me about Amanda."

"I have a photograph," explained Cabe, pulling his wallet from his pocket. "I carry this one with me everywhere I go." He passed the tiny picture to Toby. It was crumpled at the corners and there were signs of water damage, but the smiling face of the girl in the picture shone through. "That's my girl," said Cabe, swallowing hard.

"She looks like you," noted Toby. "The eyes and her cheekbones, she has your bone structure."

"Thankfully she inherited Rebecca's ears," noted Cabe, dryly.

Toby smirked and waggled his ears with his fingers. Cabe scowled. "Watch it, Doc, or your ass'll be so sore from connecting with my foot you'll be doing the rest of this session standing up."

"So, why do you carry this old photo?" asked Toby, quickly returning to a more professional manner. "You must have others."

"I do," agreed Cabe. "Hundreds, but this one… this is the one I took with me to Baghdad, when I was so far away from home and, well, it was a real tough time. I guess I needed her with me then and, well, now I need her with me all the time."

Toby nodded and smiled. "That's normal, to carry a physical reminder," he said, reassuringly. "But when you look at that picture, how does it make you feel?"

Cabe's face crumpled into a puzzled frown. "How does it make me feel? That's a dumb question!" he exclaimed. "It makes me feel sad, Doc! It hurts like hell! She was my daughter and she's gone."

Toby pressed his lips together. Already it was becoming obvious to him just how deep Cabe's troubles ran. Just as he'd expected, this wasn't going to be easy. He knew he needed to get Cabe to a place where he could look at a photo of Amanda without feeling so much pain. And that particular photo, the one he held so dear, was a huge part of the problem, Toby realised.

"How about next time you bring some more photographs along?" suggested Toby. He wanted to see how Cabe behaved when he was looking at other pictures of his daughter.

Toby knew that people carried pictures of their lost loved ones to bring them light in their darkest moments, but Cabe's photo only brought him heartache and somehow it was all linked in with what happened in Baghdad. That was a revelation Toby hadn't been expecting.

"Sure, why not," agreed Cabe. He took another deep breath.

"You wanna take a break?" asked Toby. They'd only been talking for a short time, but already it was taking its toll on Cabe. "Or we can wrap this up for today?"

"I'm good," replied Cabe. "It ain't easy though."

"Never said it would be," noted Toby, raising his eyebrows. "OK, so now I want you to think about…"

But he didn't get to finish his sentence as the door burst open and Happy walked in. She was a little out of breath and was clutching her phone in her greasy hand. Toby was immediately concerned.

"What's wrong, Lovebug?" he asked.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt," she said. "But Paige just called. It's Walter, he's in the hospital. She was kinda hysterical. We have to get over there, now!"

 _To be continued..._


	15. Chapter 15 - Contamination

**-With Walter in hospital, Toby and Ralph have to figure out what made him so ill.-**

 ** _Thank you for all of your reviews so far, I really appreciate them all. I hope you enjoy this chapter!_**

 **CHAPTER 15.**

"Where is he, kid?"

Paige leapt out of her seat and ran toward Cabe as he, Toby and Happy arrived at the hospital.

"I... I don't know, Cabe," she replied as he wrapped his comforting arms around her. "No one's telling me anything."

Cabe guided her back to the hard, plastic seat she'd been sitting on for the last fifteen minutes and sat beside her.

Toby sat on her other side, but Happy didn't want to sit. Her back was a little achy and the uncomfortable looking chair wasn't at all appealing. Instead she stood with one hand on her hip, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

"What happened?" asked Toby.

"He... he said he didn't feel well, stomach ache," began Paige in a quivering voice. "I figured it was the fermented fish he had for lunch, but then he said he had a headache too so I suggested we go back to my place."

"How did he describe the headache?" asked Toby. "Did he tell you exactly where the pain was?"

"Um, he just said his head was pounding," replied Paige. "I guess he was rubbing the back of his neck, I'm not really sure. I thought he was going to puke in the car, but then he kinda passed out and we were only a few minutes away so I just drove straight here. I must've jumped about six reds. He came round, sort of – he wasn't really with it - and I managed to get him out of the car, but when we got in here he just collapsed on the floor."

"Not good," said Happy, grimly.

"They took him away," continued Paige, clutching Cabe's hand tightly. "A nurse came out and interrogated me about his drug taking habit! I wanted to slap her!"

"I'd have punched her in the mouth, Walt's never taken drugs in his life!" exclaimed Happy.

"They just need to rule things out," said Toby, trying to keep everyone calm. "She doesn't know that One Ninety Seven won't even take an aspirin in case it affects his cognitive abilities."

"I can't lose him," said Paige, finally allowing the tears to fall that she'd been holding onto since she'd arrived. "He can't leave me!"

Toby patted Paige's arm supportively. "He wouldn't dare," he said with half a smile. "I'll go find out what's going on," he added and he ran off towards the nurses' station.

Paige watched him go and gripping Cabe's hand even more tightly. "He looked so pale," she half-whispered. "I don't know what happened, he was fine earlier."

Cabe wrapped her hand in his and closed his eyes, whispering a silent prayer. Walter had been in life threatening situations before, but this all seemed so sudden and unexplained. He glanced up at Happy who was pacing around the waiting room. "Have a seat," he suggested, pointing to the empty chair Toby had vacated moments earlier.

Happy shook her head and rubbed her lower back. "Don't think I'd ever get up again if I sat on that pile of crap," she said.

Cabe threw his arm over Paige's shoulder and watched Happy repeatedly circling the row of seats as they waited for news. Her pacing was hypnotic and Cabe had no idea how much time had passed before Toby finally returned with a young, male doctor at his side.

Paige was the first to notice him and she leapt to her feet. Her heartbeat pounded in her chest and she held her breath until Toby's lips curled into a smile. "He's OK," he said. "They've got him stabilised, but it took a while."

"Oh thank god!" Paige responded as Cabe and Happy gathered round.

"What the hell's wrong with him?" asked Cabe.

"I assume you're Mr O'Brien's family?" asked the doctor and they all nodded. "As I've explained to Doctor Curtis, we're not sure yet what triggered the collapse. Whatever it was caused his major organs to start shutting down. We're looking into possible viral and bacterial causes, but for now he's responding to a mix of high dose anti-viral medication and strong, broad spectrum antibiotics. He's a lucky man, if you hadn't gotten him here when you did..."

Paige gasped and tried not to think about how that sentence ended.

"Can we see him?" asked Happy.

"He's still very weak," responded the doctor. "Ten minutes max and then I'll have to ask you to leave."

Cabe and Toby exchanged a knowing glance. There was no way Paige was going to leave Walter's side without a fight.

"And I'm sorry, lovebug, but you're not going anywhere near One Ninety Seven until we trace the source of the problem," Toby said to Happy. "Not in your condition."

He flinched, anticipating a painful objection from his wife, but to his surprise she just nodded. "Tell Walt to get himself better ASAP," she said to Paige.

"I'll drive you home, sugarplum," said Toby. Then he smiled at Paige. "Give the boss a big kiss from me," he said with a grin. "Make sure he takes it easy," he added in a more serious tone. "And you too."

Paige nodded and took two deep breaths before linking arms with Cabe and following him to Walter's room.

Toby pulled his phone from his pocket as he and Happy walked out of the hospital. "I have a theory I want to test," he explained. "I'm texting Sly, I need him to meet me at the garage with Ralphy-Boy."

"Do you think it's the seaweed?" asked Happy.

"Nope," replied Toby. "Cabe and I both got up close and personal with that slimy stuff this morning and we're fine. Don't worry, Ralph and I are all over this."

Happy nodded, but said nothing as they got into the truck and headed out into the LA rush hour traffic. Unusually, she let Toby drive without argument.

"Your back still giving you hell?" asked Toby sympathetically.

"Yeah," Happy confirmed. "Been like it all afternoon. Kinda aching all round my right hip."

"Baby Quintis has probably moved, nothing to worry about," Toby explained. He glanced at his watch as they waited at a red light. "How about I give your Dad a call, see if he can keep the twins an extra couple hours or so? You could take a nap?"

Happy sighed and nodded reluctantly. "Tell him if he's had enough he can bring them home, though," she insisted.

Toby nodded and smiled. "OK," he replied. "But I don't think Patrick will ever get tired of those girls."

"I guess not," replied Happy with a smile.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"I'm sorry, Mrs O'Brien, but your ten minutes are up."

Paige scowled at the nurse who had dared poke her head into Walter's room.

"Come on, kid," urged Cabe. "Even geniuses need to rest when they're sick."

Walter weakly squeezed Paige's hand. Their fingers had been entwined ever since she'd got there and he was reluctant to let her go, but at the same time he really wanted some sleep. "I love you," he whispered.

Paige tenderly stroked the side of his face. "I love you too," she said.

The nurse couldn't help but be touched by the exchange and she smiled at Cabe, who smiled back, accompanied by a shrug. "Two more minutes," she said. "That's all."

Cabe squeezed Paige's arm and gently patted Walter's shoulder. "Glad you're OK, son," he said. "I'll wait outside," he added and he followed the nurse out of the room.

"I guess they're going to make me leave," said Paige sadly. "I wish I could stay."

"They... they know what they're doing," said Walter. "Mrs O'Brien," he added, his lips twisting into a smile.

"I was afraid they wouldn't tell me anything if they found out we weren't married," explained Paige.

"Mrs O'Brien is m...my mother," Walter pointed out. "But... but it suits you."

Paige's heart skipped a beat. She knew Walter was on heavy doses of medication, so maybe he hadn't quite realised what he'd just said?

 _Mr and Mrs O'Brien_... the words skipped around in her mind and she didn't know how to stop the euphoric thoughts that suddenly threatened to overwhelm her. _Mr and Mrs O'Brien..._

"I'll be back in the morning," she said, finally regaining enough of her senses to speak and she leaned forward to plant a tender kiss on his lips. "Toby and Happy send their love and I know Sly and Ralph will want to see you. I haven't told Ralph yet."

She felt a sudden pang of guilt that she hadn't called her son straight away when she'd got to the hospital. Cabe had been the first number she'd tried, but when there was no answer, or from Toby, she'd tried Happy next and once she'd told _someone_ she hadn't been able to think about anything except Walter. Seeing him so dangerously ill had frightened her beyond the capacity for logical thought.

"I don't p...plan on being in here a... a moment longer than I have to," said Walter.

"Toby said you have to take it easy," replied Paige.

"Toby says a lot of things."

"True, but I think you should listen to him this time," Paige answered. "They don't really know what happened yet and I… I don't want anything to happen to you, Walter. We've only just…" she trailed off and bit down hard on her lower lip, desperate not to show him how frightened she'd been at the prospect of losing him. Instead she kissed him again before reluctantly letting go of his hand.

"Paige, being with you…" began Walter, struggling to find the words in his exhausted mind. "It... it makes me so… so happy and I won't allow anything come between us. Anything."

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

"We have to evacuate the beach!"

Sylvester looked up from the latest issue of Super Fun Guy at Toby's proclamation. The mathematical genius' contribution to the evening's work had so far only involved accompanying Ralph to the garage on the bus – because even though he was almost fifteen years old, Paige still didn't like her son travelling on public transport alone – and hacking into Walter's medical records so Toby could see his blood results.

"The whole beach?" asked Sylvester, getting to his feet and gingerly walking towards the workbench. "What did you find? Is it the seaweed? Is it toxic?"

Despite Toby's insistence that the seaweed was not the cause of Walter's collapse, Sylvester had chosen to stay as far away from it as possible and he'd left all the testing to Toby and Ralph. Now it seemed their endeavours had revealed something.

"Not the seaweed exactly," confirmed Toby.

"The water, then?" queried Sylvester. "I thought all the tests had already come up clean?"

"It's not the water itself," said Ralph. "We found evidence of spores."

"That sounds… disgusting," shuddered Sylvester, hurriedly backing away.

"Oh, it's worse than you could possibly imagine, pal," noted Toby and Sylvester couldn't tell if he was being his usual sarcastic self, or if he was deadly serious this time. "I need to call Walt's doctor," continued Toby. "He can stop taking that cocktail of meds, I know exactly what he needs. You'd better call your girlfriend and get her to tell her boss to stop licking his fingers and close off the beach."

"You do know it's _Captain_ Sanders," began Ralph. "Not _Colonel_ …"

"I think he knows, Ralph," replied Sylvester. "And… and Kimberley's not my girlfriend. At least, not yet. At least, I don't think after just one date… well, maybe…"

"Sly!" Toby interrupted him. "Look, I think Walt was just really unlucky, but it could happen to someone else. Quantify your love life another time, pal!"

Sylvester nodded and ran to his desk to make the call while Toby made a call to the hospital to make sure Walter was getting the right treatment, now they knew exactly what the problem was.

Ralph called Paige to get an update on Walter's condition. She had been a little upset when Toby had been the one to tell him Walter was in the hospital, but he understood why his Mom had been entirely focussed on Walter. He was relieved he had been able to help Toby with the testing, though, because it had stopped him worrying too much. He was pleased to hear Paige's voice on the other end of the phone and even more pleased to hear that Walter was doing well.

"I'm going to meet Kimberley," announced Sylvester, clicking off his phone. "It seems the Captain is not a very reasonable man."

"Might be a good time to get your big-boy lawyer pants on then, pal?" suggested Toby, raising his eyebrows.

Sylvester nodded seriously. "I might have to invoke an emergency court order," he said, racing back to his desk to get his briefcase. "I just hope it doesn't take too long."

"Lives could be at stake," agreed Ralph, with an equally serious expression on his face.

"Yes... well, yes and..." stammered Sylvester, blushing slightly. "And Kimberley and I have another date this evening. The museum is open for midnight tours every night this week."

Toby pressed his lips together. "So it's hand-holding by the fossilised dinosaur poop and then maybe some kissy-kissy behind a Greek statue whose marble manhood was decollated two millennia ago?" he offered. "Call me old fashioned, but when I think of romance, I think of…"

Sylvester blushed hard and covered Ralph's ears with his hands. "Toby!" he exclaimed. "I don't think we want to know what your idea of romance is!"

"Can you guys pick this up another time?" asked Ralph, wishing that the team would realise he was not nine years old any more. "Or did we forget the contaminated ocean already?"

XxXxXxXxXxXx

"So it seems the Captain is as much of an a-hole as Kimberley said he was. Sly had to get a court order."

"Language, Ralph!" exclaimed Paige. She frowned at her son as she refilled Walter's glass with water.

Ralph rolled his eyes and said nothing. He was too pleased to see Walter looking so healthy to start an argument with his mother about how he was probably old enough now to say 'a-hole'. Instead he climbed onto the end of Walter's hospital bed and crossed his legs. "How's the food?" he asked.

Walter contemplated his response for a moment. "Acceptable," he answered eventually. "Breakfast was nutritionally balanced, if a little unappetising."

Ralph gave Walter a look of sympathy. "Do you think they'll let you out of here today?" he asked.

"The doctor I spoke to when we got here says it all depends on if he has any side effects from the new medication," explained Paige. "I guess it's a lot easier now they know exactly what they're dealing with."

Walter nodded. "I just hope no one else has… has been contaminated."

"I still don't understand," said Paige. "Why was it only you affected by the spores when Cabe was in the water with you and Toby also handled the seaweed?"

"I told you already, Mom, the spores are only active in water and it seems Walter swallowed a lot of it," Ralph tried to explain. "It's not the seaweed that's contaminated, but it's growing out of control because of the..."

But Paige held up her hand to stop him. "I'm going to leave you two geniuses to talk science," said Paige, smiling warmly at Walter. "I need to use the bathroom."

"Sly had another date with Kimberley last night," Ralph told Walter as Paige left the room.

"Things are getting serious between those two," noted Walter.

Ralph shrugged. "I guess," he said, looking down and twirling his shoelaces around his fingers.

Walter frowned. "Is... is something wrong?" he asked. "Don't you... don't you like Kimberley?"

"I do," replied Ralph. "I mean, I don't really know her too well yet. It's just... it's just I... I liked Florence and, well, so did Sly and I thought they were perfect for each other, but then it went so badly wrong. I was supposed to be helping them get together, but I... I guess I suck at that kind of stuff because I didn't help at all."

Walter was a little taken aback. Sylvester had told him that Ralph was the first person he'd confided in when he had started to think of Florence as more than a friend, but he had no idea the young genius blamed himself for what happened – or rather what didn't happen – between Sylvester and Florence.

"Ralph, circumstances affect relationships and… and I suppose we could wonder what might have been, but I don't believe th…that's a particularly efficient use of our high IQs," replied Walter, wishing Paige hadn't taken this particular moment to relieve herself. "F…F…Florence has moved on and so has Sly and… and they're both happy being friends. Good friends are hard to come by so… so don't be sad for them. Perhaps if what happened with... with Florence hadn't happened, Sly wouldn't be out there right now with the confidence to date someone new?

No one had really mentioned Sylvester and Florence's relationship-that-never-was for a long time. Not because it felt awkward - they had all moved on from that - but because Sylvester himself had quickly realised how confused he had been about his feelings for her at the time and there had simply been no need to mention it anymore.

A year ago they had all been in a very different place, but since then Sylvester had reconciled his feelings for Florence and they had both come to the conclusion that what they really shared was a deep friendship. The whole team had all been sorry to see Florence leave California when she had decided to take up the opportunity of a lifetime at Princeton, but she kept in touch with everyone regularly and still felt like part of the family even though she was over two thousand miles away.

"I know Sylvester has figured out the whole thing with Flo now," replied Ralph. "But he got it wrong to start with and… and what if being with Kimberley is wrong too, Walter? I clearly suck at knowing when it's right and when it's wrong. If I'd figured it out back then with Florence I could've stopped my friend from getting so badly hurt."

"If I remember correctly," began Walter with a wry smile. "There were one or two other things g...going on at that time which... which may have had an adverse impact on everyone's judgement."

"True," acknowledged Ralph, with a knowing look. "OK, so maybe you sucked at knowing when things were wrong back then too."

"Can't argue with you there," nodded Walter with a grin. "And… and I'm still learning."

He was so glad they could all look back at all the stupid mistakes they'd made with good humour now.

"You know, Ralph," continued Walter, his expression a little more serious now. "If there's one thing I've learnt a...about relationships it's that you can't calculate what might happen. And... and the normal mathematical principles of... of probability don't apply either. Love cannot be measured scientifically. It just happens between two people, or... or it doesn't. It wasn't your fault that Sly and Florence didn't work out, it... it just was never meant to be."

Ralph allowed a small smile to cross his lips. "Do you really believe that?" he asked. "There's no science involved at all?"

"I wouldn't say no science at all," Walter clarified. "But almost f...from the moment I met your mother, I knew... I just knew and... and it's been a long road, but I always knew we would end up here."

Ralph's smile grew broader. "I think..." he began, briefly closing his eyes and remembering back to the first time he'd met Walter. "I think I did too."

 _To be continued..._


	16. Chapter 16 - Tears and Science

**Cabe finds out just how difficult therapy can be, the homicide investigation progresses and Paige and Walter have a special moment.**

 _ **Thank you so much for all the reviews, this story means a lot to me and it's wonderful to hear how much you're all enjoying it. I appreciate every single one of your comments, I hope you enjoy this new chapter!**_

 **CHAPTER 16.**

"And… I think we're done for today."

Cabe looked up at Toby and nodded silently. He hurriedly wiped away another tear from his cheek with his knuckle and looked back down at the array of photographs that were spread out on the table in front of him. Amanda's smiling face stared back at him – as a little girl holding an ice cream, as a ten year old in a ballet tutu and as a teenager cheekily sticking her tongue out at the camera. He could remember every single moment and Toby had expertly guided him into putting his feelings into words, pushing him just enough so his emotions came to the surface.

Cabe knew he should have done this a long time ago.

But it hurt. God, it hurt.

"Take as much time as you need," said Toby, gently. "I'll be in the kitchen."

Toby had suggested Cabe have his second therapy session in his own home so he felt more comfortable and Cabe had agreed. Allie had contemplated going out, but in the end she'd decided to stay, making herself busy in the kitchen baking cookies, muffins and whatever else she could think of to take her mind off what Cabe was going through in the other room.

An array of delicious smells overwhelmed Toby's senses as soon as he walked into the kitchen. "Mmmm," he said, grabbing a still-warm chocolate cookie from the plate and stuffing the whole thing into his mouth at once.

Allie frowned, but then she realised Toby was alone and she looked at him with questioning eyes.

"Rough session today," Toby explained, swallowing the remains of the cookie.

Allie clasped her hand to her mouth.

"But he's OK," Toby tried to reassure her. "He'll be out in a minute. We really made a breakthrough today, I'm kinda proud of the old man – don't tell him I said that though," he added with a wink.

"Should I… should I be asking him about how it's going?" Allie asked. "I kind of figured he would talk to me if he wanted to."

Toby nodded. "And he will, when he's ready," he replied.

Tears filled Allie's eyes and she swallowed hard. "I love him so much, Toby," she said.

"He knows," Toby answered with a warm smile.

"Have another cookie," suggested Allie, offering him the plate. "You've earned it."

"Save some for me, Doc."

Allie looked round at the sound of Cabe's voice. She could see that he'd been crying and it almost broke her heart. Why did life have to be so unfair?

Cabe's eyes lit up when he saw her and he strode purposefully across the kitchen towards her. Allie barely had time to shove the plate of cookies into Toby's hands before she was enveloped in Cabe's warm arms.

Toby smiled and put the plate on the side. "I'll leave you two lovebirds alone," he said. He gently placed one hand on Allie's arm and squeezed Cabe's shoulder with the other. "Smell you guys later," he said.

He was half way home when his phone played the familiar 'Atta boy' text alert that meant his wife was trying to contact him. He pulled over at the side of the road, expecting a message about picking up some bagels on the way, but the text simply said, ' _Call me'._

"What is it? Are you OK? Is it one of the girls?" Toby asked urgently as soon as his call connected.

"Relax, dummy," replied Happy. "I'm fine, the girls are fine, but O'Brien's checked himself out of the hospital against doctor's orders and he wants us all at the garage ASAP."

"He's done what?" exclaimed Toby.

"Paige is spitting feathers," added Happy. "I don't blame her, the guy's a moron."

"You're right there, darlin'," agreed Toby. "OK, I'll head straight to the garage, meet you there. I take it the girls aren't giving you any trouble?"

"Unless you count throwing banana slices at each other as trouble then no," replied Happy. "But my back's still killin' me."

"Oh, sugarplum, I'm sorry," said Toby.

He hated feeling so helpless, but he'd examined her before he'd left this morning and his earlier thoughts had been correct – Baby Quintis was just lying in an awkward position and putting extra pressure on her lower back. He had assured her that it was nothing to worry about and that the baby would move soon enough, but she was still in pain and all he wanted to do was make her feel better.

"So you should be," retorted Happy. "You put this baby in me in the first place."

Toby smiled to himself. He knew she didn't mean to snap at him and he always found her grumpiness strangely endearing.

"Love you, sugarpuff," he said. "See you in ten."

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Happy was the last to arrive at the garage. Toby's optimistic estimate of ten minutes hadn't taken into account the amount of time it took to persuade two active toddlers to sit in their car seats while she strapped them in.

Sylvester had arrived at the garage soon after Toby and had bumped into Ray outside who – in typical Ray style – had quickly made himself at home. When Cabe arrived he was slightly stunned to be offered a bowl of freshly made soup – Minest _RAY_ ne Soup.

"I made it for Wally," Ray explained. "Full of vitamins. And Robbie seems to like it too," he added, nodding towards Ralph who was on his second bowl.

Cabe politely declined, claiming he didn't want to deprive Walter. It was then that Happy arrived with the twins. As the truck pulled into the garage Toby went over to greet her.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look today, sugarplum?" he asked, smiling at Happy before unstrapping Caitlin's seatbelt and lifting her into his arms. Both girls had fallen asleep during the short journey and Caitlin was having trouble keeping her eyes open.

"I look like hell," retorted Happy, taking a sleepy Stella from the truck. "And that pretty much sums up how I feel right now too. How did you go with Cabe?"

Toby noted how she'd changed the subject and made a mental note to talk to her later when they were back home. He hated seeing her so uncomfortable and so far this pregnancy – their longed for pregnancy – had caused her no end of trouble from morning sickness, to her low blood pressure and now the backache. He knew she wanted the baby more than anything, but he also knew how frustrating she was finding the whole process and they still had over three months to go until Baby Quintis was due to make an appearance.

Caitlin reached out and touched his face, breaking Toby from his thoughts and he realised he hadn't answered Happy's question yet.

"It was a good session," he replied, gently pushing his daughter's fingers away from his nose. He didn't really want to talk about it, not only to protect Cabe's privacy, but also because talking about the photographs had been even more emotional for Cabe than Toby had imagined it would be.

Happy narrowed her eyes. She was nowhere near as good at reading people as her husband was, but she knew when he was struggling with something. "Good for Cabe, but…?" she left her question unfinished, knowing Toby would understand what she was asking.

Stella was little more awake now and Happy lowered her to the floor, still keeping a tight hold of her hand. The garage was definitely not a suitable environment for unattended toddlers.

Toby sighed and stood Caitlin down on the floor with her sister. "Let's just say making Cabe cry isn't top of my list of fun things to do on a Friday," replied Toby. "Even if he really needed the release."

"Gather round, Scorpions!"

Happy rolled her eyes at the sound of Ray's voice. "Who invited him?" She loved Ray as much as everyone did, but today she wasn't in the mood for his enthusiasm.

"No one ever _invites_ Ray," replied Toby with a wink and they walked over to join the rest of the team who had gathered around the monitor tree. Toby exchanged a quick nod with Cabe and he was relieved to see the older man's expression conveyed gratitude.

"Thank you all for coming at short notice," began Walter, who had perched on the arm of the couch.

"No, thank _you_ for checking yourself out of the hospital early," Paige interrupted him, standing with her hands on her hips. "Because what I really need is to spend the next few days worrying about you."

Walter's face fell. "P…Paige, I'm… I'm sorry," he said. "But… but you don't have to worry about me."

"You're gonna take it easy for the next couple days, though, right?" offered Toby. "No running around, no jumping out of planes?"

"Do I need to lend Paige my handcuffs?" asked Cabe.

"I don't think Walt's gonna have the energy for kinky stuff for a while, Cabe," Toby quipped. He yelped as he was rewarded with an elbow in his left side from Happy and another in his right from Paige, but he decided it had been worth the pain for the look on Walter's face.

Walter blushed hard and cleared his throat. "I c…c…can assure you I'll take it easy," he said. "I… I simply don't see the need to spend a…a…another minute in that hospital. It's a terribly inefficient use of my time. However, while I was there I did take the… the opportunity to go over all the evidence we've gathered so far in this case. I… I thought we should consolidate what we know. Toby, if you'd like to explain about the seaweed and… and the spores?"

"Nah, I'd rather just sit here and do nothing," retorted Toby. He waited just long enough for everyone to start wondering if he was being serious, before getting to his feet. "OK, OK, so Walt got sick because he ingested seawater that contained toxic spores."

"You did swallow a lot of water that day," acknowledged Cabe. "Remind me to give you a few snorkelling lessons before we try it again."

"Or, maybe just stay on dry land next time?" suggested Sylvester. "Where it's safe."

"Until you get hit by a bus," noted Toby, mischievously.

"Can we p...please focus!" urged Walter. "Toby, the spores?"

"Right, yes, the spores," nodded Toby. "Ralph-boy here discovered that it's the spores that have enriched the ocean ecosystem."

"Causing native seaweed to experience prolific growth," added Ralph stepping forward and addressing the group confidently.

"So seaweed really loves 'em," continued Toby, "But as One Ninety Seven can testify, the human body really shouldn't invite these spores to a party."

"What about Josh?" asked Cabe. "He swallowed a ton of seawater and he didn't get sick like Walter?"

"Well that's where it starts to get interesting," replied Toby. "And by interesting, I mean kinda scary. So, when the body is exposed to bio-toxins like the spores it causes a condition called CIRS."

"Chronic inflammatory response syndrome," clarified Ralph. "But symptoms usually develop after a long period of exposure. Like months."

"But it was less than twenty four hours between Walter downing his saltwater cocktail and him hitting the deck in the hospital?" queried Happy with a puzzled look on her face.

"And his symptoms weren't typical of CIRS," added Toby. "More like a bacterial infection."

"The spores are… are acting outside of their normal, natural parameters," stated Walter. "Which raises the question of cause."

"Genetic mutation?" offered Happy, grateful that Stella and Caitlin both seemed to be happy sitting on the floor and playing with a wooden activity toy.

"And there I was thinking I'd married an engineer," grinned Toby.

"Based on the tests we've been able to run in the garage genetic mutation is the only plausible explanation we have for now," explained Ralph.

"I'll make some calls, book you guys some lab time," said Paige. "I think we're still on good terms with one or two laboratories in the city."

"If you're referring to the discussion I had with… with that idiot at Conti Labs last week," began Walter, but Paige held up her hand to stop him talking.

"Maybe if you hadn't called him an idiot he wouldn't have thrown us out of the building?" she offered.

"OK, OK, time out!" exclaimed Toby, making a 'T' gesture with his hands. "Mutated spores, remember?"

Sylvester raised his hand. "Can I ask a question?" he asked. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before adding. "One that I really don't want to know the answer to."

Walter looked at Sylvester with a frown. "If you don't want to know the answer, why would you ask?"

"Because I think it's important, but the answer is going to be one of my biggest fears," replied Sylvester. He took another deep breath. "How could the spores have mutated in the few days between Josh and Walter ingesting them?"

"Are we talking about bio-engineering here?" asked Happy.

"Got it in one, darlin'," nodded Toby seriously.

"Oh no," muttered Sylvester. "Oh no, oh no."

"Hey, guys," said Ray, who had been uncharacteristically quiet up until now. "Can we just pretend for a minute that I don't know anything about science and could someone just tell me what the hell all this means?"

"It means," began Walter, getting to his feet, "that… that the spores were genetically engineered with a delayed activation period."

"The seaweed was already growing out of control when Josh was in the water," said Happy, realising what Walter was saying. "So the spores were present, but the bio toxins didn't become live until a few days later."

Ray scratched his head. "Still don't get it."

"Everyone does it, it's just no one likes to admit to it," answered Sylvester, shaking his head in despair. "We do it, the Russians do it, the Brits do it, it's just another way for human beings to kill each other, right, Cabe? They call it germ warfare, which are the two worst possible words for me to hear together in a sentence."

"Are you saying the military is involved in all this?" asked Cabe, folding his arms across his chest defiantly. "Are we under attack?"

"At ease, soldier," commanded Toby, spreading his hands out in front of him in a calming gesture. "We don't know who, or why yet."

"And what exactly has this rather horrifying revelation got to do with our murdered lifeguard?" asked Paige. She'd just about been able to keep up with the conversation, but she had no idea what it had to do with their homicide investigation.

"Have you forgotten about Dr Sametti, the medical examiner who changed the autopsy report and his redacted military record?" asked Toby. "He was desperately hiding something when Cabe and I spoke to him."

"So he's the killer?" asked Ray.

"No!" chorused Toby, Happy, Sylvester, Walter and Ralph in unison and they all rolled their eyes.

The non-geniuses in the room just looked at each other and shrugged.

xXxXxXxXxXx

"I don't mean this the way it sounds," said Paige a couple of hours later when everyone had left the garage. "But I'm glad they've all gone. I just want to be alone with you for a while."

"I second that," replied Walter and he smiled up at her from his position on the couch. "And we're f…finally getting closer to wrapping up this investigation."

"Are you sure this plan of yours is going to work?" asked Paige. "Getting all the suspects together in the same room sounds a little dangerous to me."

"We still have to work out some of… of the details," replied Walter. "But Cabe and Sylvester are busy making arrangements already."

The plan was for Sylvester to organise a gala dinner for local prominent citizens. Everyone involved in the case would be invited and the team would use their skills to flush out the murderer. How exactly it was going to work Paige had yet to understand. She hoped it would all make sense in the next few days.

Paige sat beside him with a look of concern on her face. "Are you feeling OK?" she asked. "I really wish you hadn't walked out of the hospital like that."

"I feel fine," Walter tried to reassure her. "A little tired, perhaps, but... but Toby said that was to be expected."

Paige tenderly touched the side of his face with her fingertips. "Let me take care of you," she said. "What do you need me to do? Ray left more soup in the fridge if you're hungry."

Walter covered her hand with his. "Thank you, but I… I don't want soup," he replied. "And you don't have to take care of me, Paige, I told you I'm fine."

"I want to," replied Paige. She stood up and grabbed a spare cushion from the chair. "Here," she said and she gently moved Walter's shoulders just enough so she could tuck the cushion behind them.

Walter smiled warmly at her. He was actually more uncomfortable now than he had been with just one cushion, but he didn't want to complain. "Thank you, my love," he said. He slowly moved his shoulders from side to side until the cushions felt a little less lumpy.

"How about a foot massage?" asked Paige and before he could answer Paige had removed one of his socks.

"Paige," he said as she started rubbing the sole of his foot with her thumbs. "Paige, I… I don't… I just…"

Paige immediately stopped and let out a sigh. "I'm sorry," she said. "I want to make sure you're OK. When you were sick, I was so scared Walter. I never want to see you like that again."

"Oh, p…please, don't apologise," insisted Walter. He reached forward and took her hands in his. "I should be the one apologising for… for frightening you. I had no idea that would happen when I went into the ocean, but at least we know what caused it and… and if I hadn't gotten sick we wouldn't know about the spores. If you want to make me feel better, then please… please just sit with me."

Paige smiled. "That sounds nice," she said and she crossed her legs underneath herself and scooted as close to Walter as she could. Her head naturally fell to the side until it came to rest on his shoulder. "Mmmm," she said, a contented smile on her lips. "Yes, this is nice."

Walter gently stroked her hair. "I love you," he said.

Paige closed her eyes as a warm feeling coursed through her body, the way it always did at when Walter said those three little words. Warm and safe. It was the most wonderful feeling and Paige wished they could stay like this forever.

"I love you too," she replied.

She loved saying it almost as much as she loved hearing it. There had been a moment at the hospital when she'd wondered if she'd ever get the chance to say it again as her darkest fears had threatened to overwhelm her.

Walter put his life at risk all the time – the all did, it was part of the work they did - and Paige had come to accept it in a strange way. Their lives were stupidly dangerous at times, but it always felt right because they did it to save people. But Paige had been struck by the thought that Walter could have died just because he'd swallowed some stupid fungus, or whatever it was and it would have been such a pointless death that she knew she would never have recovered from the loss. It had given her a whole new perspective on her life and their relationship and she felt strangely free, released from a pressure she hadn't even realised she'd been under.

She lifted her head and turned to look at him. "Walter, I've been thinking. When you asked me the other day about having a baby, I was totally shocked. I guess I needed time to think about it because I'd never thought about it before. Not seriously, anyway and when we talked about it, it felt like the right thing to do to wait a while."

"Yes, that's what we agreed," nodded Walter. "And you were right, of course. I… I think I just got carried away. B…b…because of seeing Toby and Happy with their children and, well, I… I guess just because I love you so much. Family means a lot to me and… and I can't say I fully understand why I feel like this, but I do know that I am complete when I'm with you, Paige and when the time's right we will have a baby together. Our baby will be loved so much and I have no idea how I will process any of it, but I will. For you, for us, for our family. As long as I have you, Paige, forever, I can wait for as long as you need."

Paige's eyes were suddenly wet with tears. It was so rare for Walter to talk in such an openly emotional way and it took her a moment before she could answer. "Oh, Walter," she said. "The thing is… well, I nearly lost you yesterday and now… now… I think I've changed my mind about having a baby."

Walter's heart sank. He couldn't understand it, not after everything they'd talked about. "So you… you don't want a baby after all?"

Paige gasped, suddenly realising how her words had sounded. "No! Oh, Walter, no, that's not what I meant at all." She squeezed his hands tightly and looked into his eyes as tears began to fall from hers. "I realise now that anything could happen and we don't really have control over our lives, not as much as we think we do anyway. Life's too short to wait for something we both want, so why wait? I guess my old insecurities were just trying to scare me when we talked about it the other day, but I've changed my mind about waiting. I want to have another baby. I want to have _your_ baby, Walter, more than anything in the world."

 _To be continued..._


	17. Chapter 17 - Family Planning

**Cabe makes a decision, the team start planning the gala and Paige asks Toby for advice.**

 ** _Thank you to everyone who is following this story and leaving reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter, all reviews are very welcome._**

 **CHAPTER 17**.

"Mmmm… oh yeah, feels so good, Doc… mmmm… god, yes!"

"Told you a back massage was just what you needed, sugarplum."

Toby's fingers deftly worked Happy's aching muscles, gliding over her lower back and providing welcome relief from the aching. Happy was lying almost – but not quite – face down on the bed clutching a large pillow which was supporting her baby bump and it was the most comfortable she'd been in days.

"OK, OK, you were right… mmmm…"

"Grumpy pregnant genius says what now? Could you say that again? Just so I can gloat some more."

"Shut it, Doc and keep working."

Toby was kneeling on the floor beside the bed, wearing just his boxers and the Harvard t-shirt he often wore at night. He loved that he could do this for her, it made him feel closer to her and to their growing baby. It was a level of intimacy that he'd once thought he'd never experience and he started to wonder what he'd ever done to deserve such contentment.

"Right there… oh yeah… mmmm…"

"Y'know, this would be more fun if I put on the Swedish Masseuse costume," noted Toby.

"Perv."

Toby chuckled and continued in silence. Happy was dressed in just a sleeveless t-shirt and her panties and every curve was accentuated. He knew she was having a tough time coping with the way her body was changing as her pregnancy progressed, but to him she was beautiful. Even more beautiful than before, in fact.

Happy's eyes started to drift shut and Toby smiled and slowed his movements a little. He glanced over at his phone, it was almost 4am. It had been a long night and he was more than ready for a few hours' sleep now. The twins had taken while to settle and then Happy had had a lot of difficulty getting comfortable. She had initially refused his offer of a massage, insisting that Toby should try to get some sleep instead, but of course that was never going to happen all the while he knew she was in pain, so between them they'd only had maybe two or three hours of broken sleep.

Toby's hand came to rest in the small of her back and he stayed like that for a while, watching her sleep, glad that he had been able to help her rest. Eventually he slowly got to his feet, silently cursing the pins and needles in his feet. He paused to tenderly kiss her on the cheek before kissing his own fingertips and gently pressing them to her baby bump.

He stifled a yawn and slipped under the covers. Within minutes he too was asleep… but it didn't last long.

Caitlin's cry snatched him from his dreams less than an hour later. He grabbed the baby monitor and switched it off before the noise woke Happy and then he stumbled out of bed, slamming his knee into the corner as he did so. "Ow! My patella!" he exclaimed under his breath as he ran into the twins' room and plucked Caitlin from her cot.

"Shhh... shhh..." he soothed, cradling her in his arms and walking out of the room before she disturbed Stella, grabbing the changing bag on the way out of the door. "Come on sweetheart, Mommy and Daddy need some Z's."

Caitlin clung tightly to him and he rocked her gently until she started to calm down. He could tell she had been woken by a nightmare and he did everything he could to make her feel safe. Once she'd stopped crying he sat her on his knee and smoothed her fine hair away from her wet eyes, smiling at her until she finally smiled back.

"Someone's wide awake," he noted with a sigh. "So you win today's special prize. Some quality pre-dawn time with Daddy!"

Caitlin giggled and Toby set about changing her. "One nice dry diaper for you," he said as he fastened the sides. "Won't be long before Pops needs one of these too," he added with a grin, but Caitlin just started chewing on her fingers.

"Couple more years and you'll appreciate my jokes," noted Toby with a wink, but then his face fell. "Teething, huh? Let's what we can do to take your mind off it."

He looked around the room at the collection of toys they'd already accumulated, but he had no energy to play with plastic cars, or have a pretend tea party. All he wanted to do was sleep.

Then he heard the muffled sound of his voicemail notification.

Cursing himself for forgetting to turn off all alerts, Toby raced back to the bedroom and plucked the phone from his bedside table, silencing the chirping sound with a single button press. He held his breath and stared unblinking at his sleeping wife, half expecting her to open her eyes and yell at him for waking her, but she did nothing except exhale and move her arm a little.

He breathed a sigh of relief and silently backed out of the room, heading straight back to Caitlin.

"Daddy is a very lucky man," he said. "Now let's see who left that voicemail. My guess is Uncle Walter because he's supposed to be resting, but he's probably been up all night thinking about seaweed and toxic spores and... oh..." he trailed off as Allie's voice played.

" _Toby? It's me, Allie. Um, if you get this message please call me back. I'm sorry to call so early, but it's Cabe. I don't know what to do... he's just sitting there, staring into space. I've never seen him like this. I'm... I'm so worried."_

The message ended and Toby took a breath before returning her call. "Hey, Allie... no, it's fine, I was awake already. What's he doing right now? OK... OK... no, I'll come over. No… no, it's no trouble. As long as you don't mind babysitting a teething princess who really should be asleep? Great, I'll be there as quick as I can."

Toby hurriedly scribbled a note for Happy, switched the baby monitor back on, pulled on a pair of jeans and quickly checked on Stella before bundling Caitlin into her coat, grabbing his jacket and hat and heading out to the truck.

When they got to Cabe and Allie's, Allie was already waiting with the front door open. "Thank you so much for coming," she said. "He's... he's scaring me now, Toby."

"Where is he?" asked Toby as Allie took Caitlin from his arms.

"On the balcony," explained Allie, leading him through to the bedroom. "I woke up cold and I realised he wasn't in bed. Then I saw him out there."

She pointed and Toby could see Cabe sitting on a wicker chair bathed in early morning light. He was dressed in a white sleeveless shirt and long pyjama trousers and his hair was uncharacteristically unkempt. The sun was just starting to rise and the orange glow highlighted his features as he stared across the skyline.

"Did anything happen last night?" asked Toby. "Did he seem down? Did he talk about Amanda?"

Allie shook her head. "If anything he seemed more upbeat than he's been all week. I went out there, called his name, but it's like he wasn't really there. He didn't move, no reaction at all."

"Try not to worry," said Toby. "He probably keeps his secret stash of vintage Playboy out there."

Allie's bottom lip started to quiver.

"Hey," said Toby, placing a gentle hand on her arm. "Leave this to me."

Allie held Caitlin tightly and watched as Toby stepped out onto the balcony. He sat himself down in the other chair and watched Cabe for a moment.

"Most old people would be wearing two sweaters out here," said Toby eventually.

Silence.

"Cabe?"

Nothing. Now Toby was worried. He reached out and touched Cabe's arm… and Cabe nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Jesus!" he exclaimed.

"Nope, only me," quipped Toby. He narrowed his eyes and looked seriously at Cabe. "You OK? I get kinda paranoid when people ignore me."

Cabe reached into his ears and pulled out two tiny earbuds. "Sorry, Doc, I didn't know you were there. Been listening to Glenn Campbell. Did you know he had Alzheimer's when he recorded his last album? Couldn't remember his own daughter's name, but he could play Wichita Lineman as good as he ever could."

"The human brain can do amazing things," acknowledged Toby. "Wait a second, you didn't hear Allie calling you earlier because you had your music up too loud?"

"Allie was…? No, I didn't. Happy gave me these," he replied, holding up one of the tiny earpieces in between his thumb and forefinger. "All I gotta do is plug a thingy into my stereo and these babies pick up the sound all the way out here. Noise cancelling too." He paused, suddenly realising that Toby's expression was one of concern. "Sorry, did you need me for something… what time is it anyway?"

"It's not quite six a.m.," Toby answered. "And you scared the hell outta Allie, sitting out here like a zombie. She thought you'd finally lost your marbles."

"Oh, jeez," said Cabe. "And she called you over? I… I just came out here to think… and Glenn Campbell always helps me think. I need to go apologise to my girl."

Toby nodded and followed Cabe back inside. They found Allie sitting on the couch with Caitlin, playing with some giant plastic beads. Allie was helping her to thread them onto a string and Cabe paused, admiring her patience with the little girl. He took a moment to acknowledge – not for the first time – just how lucky he was to have Allie in his life.

"Babe?" he said eventually.

Allie's head snapped round. She hadn't expected to see them so soon and she looked urgently at Toby for an explanation.

"Pleased to report the old man hasn't lost his mind just yet," grinned Toby. "Although his hearing might be on the way out."

Cabe stepped forward as Allie rose from the couch. "I'm so sorry, baby," he said, pulling her into his arms. "I didn't mean to scare you. I couldn't sleep, went out there to run over some stuff in my head, that's all. I'm OK, I promise you. More than OK, actually."

Allie held him tightly. "You did scare me," she admitted. "I'm sorry I'm putting you through all of this."

"What?" exclaimed Cabe, pushing her shoulders away just enough so he could look her in the eye. "If by all of this you mean me finally getting around to dealing with what happened to Amanda then you have nothing to apologise for. I should've done it a long time ago, right, Doc?"

They both turned to Toby who nodded in agreement. "And he gets to spend more time with me," he added with a grin. "It's the gift that keeps on giving."

Cabe scowled at him, but his attention soon turned back to Allie. "I've made a decision," he said.

Allie held her breath. Even Toby was surprised, they hadn't even begun to talk about what exactly it was that Cabe went onto the balcony to think about.

"Foster parents, you and me," continued Cabe. "Let's do it."

"Are… are you sure you're ready?" asked Allie, glancing from Cabe to Toby.

"Heck no, but I will be by the time all the paperwork is processed, won't I?" Now it was Cabe's turn to look at Toby for an answer.

"It'll be at least a couple months before they complete all the background checks and interviews," agreed Toby. "I can get you there in that time, but it'll be intense. You gotta listen to me, do exactly what I say. Deal?"

Cabe gave Toby a quick salute. "Yes, sir," he said with a wink.

"Oh, finally I get some respect!" grinned Toby.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"And that's the last of the invitations!" Kimberley announced triumphantly as she wiped the damp sponge across the envelope and sealed it, before placing it onto the neat pile she'd made with the others.

"Thank you for your help," smiled Sylvester. "There's so much to do."

"Glad to help," replied Kimberley. "And if this Alderman Awards Gala helps snare Charlie's killer then I'll do whatever it takes."

"Alderman Awards Gala," repeated Sylvester, rolling his eyes as he spoke. "Why have I got to be the centre of attention?"

"Because you're the Alderman," replied Kimberley with a smile. "Remember what Toby said? No one's going to turn down a prestigious award presented by a prominent public figure. It's the only way we can guarantee everyone will show up."

"Hmm, well if I say the wrong thing and blow our cover it's not my fault."

"Hey," Kimberley squeezed his arm. "You'll be fine. You can do this. Paige was telling me this morning about some of the amazing things you've done with Scorpion, you're a super hero!"

Sylvester blushed hard. "Oh… oh… she was exaggerating," he insisted. "I… I… I mostly just do a lot of math."

"Math… and jumping out of burning buildings," grinned Kimberley. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm sorry, I made you uncomfortable, I won't mention it again. Why don't I go get us some coffee?"

Sylvester watched her walk over to the coffee machine and his embarrassment was quickly replaced by a warm smile. Not many people would have apologised for making him feel awkward.

"What do you guys think of these?"

Sylvester turned round at the sound of Happy's voice. She was carrying a small vase containing an arrangement of assorted flowers. Allie was looking after Caitlin and Stella this afternoon and Happy had been busy at her workbench.

"Darlin', you shouldn't have!"

Happy sneered at Toby as he crossed the garage. "They're not for you, dummy," she said. "The flowers are bugged."

"Y'know you can get bug spray for houseplants, right?" quipped Cabe from his desk.

Happy rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I think the twins are more mature than you idiots," she said.

Just then Walter walked down the ramp from the loft. He'd been taking a nap, although Paige had almost had to force him into doing so. He smiled when he saw the flowers. "Ah, are those the ones with the bug?"

"We're gonna get some spray," grinned Cabe, hoping Walter would appreciate his joke.

But Walter just frowned at him.

"Ignore him, Boss," urged Happy. "So I've fitted listening devices and cameras in the flowers like you asked and we'll put one on every table at Sly's ball."

"It's not mine!" insisted Sylvester. "And it's a gala dinner, not a ball. I don't do balls!"

Toby walked over and patted him on the shoulder. "You know you've just set yourself up for my huge repertoire of 'balls' jokes, right?"

Sylvester shook his head in despair. "Kimberley, are we leaving yet?" he called out.

Kimberley laughed as she poured herself a cup of coffee. She was about to answer him when she realised Happy had joined her at the coffee machine. "Oh, hey," she said, a little startled by her sudden presence."

"Hey," nodded Happy. "So, um, you and Sly… you guys going somewhere cool later?"

"Um, I guess," replied Kimberley. "Italian food and then that new jazz club."

Happy nodded her approval. "You're really into him, aren't you."

Kimberley nodded, suddenly feeling a little nervous.

"It's good to see him so happy," continued Happy. "So, er, if that ever changes… I mean, if say you guys… if your situation was to, er, change for the worse and it was because, say, you didn't treat him right, then, um… I guess what I'm saying is we've got his back. Understood?"

Kimberley froze, unable to move or speak. "I… I… I…" she stammered. "I understand." She'd found Happy intimidating since the first time they'd met and now she wasn't sure if she should be outright scared of her.

Happy smiled. "Relax," she said. "I like you, you're good for Sly. I can see this thing working out, long term I mean. So we're all good."

Kimberley nodded slowly, trying to take in what Happy had just said as she walked away.

Toby had watched the exchange from a distance and narrowed his eyes as his wife re-joined him. "What did you just say to Kimberley?" he asked with mild concern. "She's throwing out fear markers."

Happy shrugged and went back to her workbench without saying a word.

Kimberley's hand was shaking as she placed the mug of coffee down in front of Sylvester.

"What's wrong?" asked Sylvester, but Kimberley's expression soon changed to a smile.

"Um… I think I just had the – ' _if you ever hurt him, I'll hurt you'_ \- talk from Happy," she replied.

"She what?" he exclaimed, getting to his feet, but Kimberley put a hand on his arm.

"No, no, it's OK," she continued. "I kinda love that she said that. It shows she really cares about you, they all do. My sister has always looked out for me, but it's only ever been me, Anthea and my mom for as long as I can remember. You're so lucky to have so many people looking out for you, you have such a wonderful family."

Sylvester couldn't help but smile. "Yes, yes I do," he agreed.

Paige was at her desk, busy on her computer and she hadn't seen the exchange between Happy and Kimberley, but she saw Toby approaching out of the corner of her eye and quickly closed the web page she had been reading. "Hi," she said, trying to sound casual. "How's the profiling coming along?"

"Oooh, nice try," grinned Toby. "Anyone else might have fallen for that deflection, but you're talking to me so…"

"So… what?"

"So, you do realise I could ask you two simple questions and you'd give it away… or I could just hack your browsing history," continued Toby.

"Can't I have any privacy around here?"

"Nope," replied Toby with a shrug. "Haven't you figured that out after five years?"

Paige sighed. "OK, OK," she said, realising he wasn't going to drop the subject. "I was just checking something, but I guess I can ask you instead."

Toby perched on the corner of her desk. "Ask me as a friend, or as a doctor?" His voice was genuine now, he always knew exactly when to turn off the stupid act, especially with Paige.

"A doctor, I guess," replied Paige, she leaned back in her chair and looked around to make sure no one else was in earshot. "So, um, my birth control pill. It is OK just to stop taking it, isn't it?"

"Hell, no! That stuff's like heroin! You gotta wean yourself off slowly," replied Toby with a grin.

Paige frowned. "This is why I was just going to Google it," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Sorry, of course it's OK," Toby responded. "Just toss 'em in the trash. I take it you and One Ninety Seven have given up the idea of waiting?"

Paige nodded and a smile danced at the corners of her lips. "Yeah," she agreed. "Life's too short, Toby. We talked about it last night and it's what we both want so why wait?"

"I hope talking was all you lovebirds did last night?" asked Toby. "Walt's still supposed to be taking it easy, remember?"

"Just talking," confirmed Paige. "Although… he immediately started doing research... y'know… the most efficient way to conceive, that kind of thing."

"Hmmm," replied Toby. "Efficient intimacy, the best kind of sex, huh?"

Paige laughed. "It kinda feels like he's treating the whole thing like a science experiment," she said. Then her face fell and her voice became quiet. "But I can't say that to him… remember what happened last time I threw that accusation in his face."

"No? What happened?" deadpanned Toby. Then his expression softened. "Look, you don't need me to lecture you about communication anymore, but my advice is if Walt starts suggesting you stand on your head after sex, just tell him you'd prefer to take a more romantic approach to baby making."

Paige let out a slow breath. "I haven't tried standing on my head since my cheerleading days," she said, with more than a hint of irony. "I want this so bad, Toby," she continued. "And the last thing I want to do is put pressure on him."

"Believe me, that's the last thing he needs," noted Toby, knowingly. "You'll just have to remind him that sexy time is meant to be sexy."

Paige blushed lightly. "I think I can do that," she said.

Toby grinned. "I'm sure you can," he said. "But just remember, you're trying for a baby with Walter, not George Clooney. Romance is an indefinable concept, it's immeasurable. Walt likes research and process maps and decision charts. It makes him comfortable. So I guarantee he's already started plotting your menstrual cycle on a graph… and it'll be on the wall by the end of the day."

"Toby!" Paige dropped her head into her hands and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Oh dear, what have I done?"

 _To be continued…._


	18. Chapter 18 - Getting Ready

**Everyone is getting ready for the gala dinner, but love is in the air!**

 ** _As always, huge thanks go to everyone who is reading this story and to all of you who leave reviews. Feedback means the world to us writers! I hope you enjoy this chapter, there's plenty of fluff in this one!_**

 **CHAPTER 18.**

"Wow, you look… smokin' hot, Gallo!"

Cabe stopped in his tracks. He had just come out of the bedroom and had been about to ask Allie to help him with his bow-tie, but her words had completely distracted him. "Huh?" he queried.

Allie blushed and giggled. "Oh, did I say that out loud?" she asked. She stepped forward and grasped his forearms. "You look great in a tux," she explained. "I'm sorry, but it's true."

Cabe chuckled. "Don't apologise," he insisted. "I'll take whatever compliments I can get at my age." Then he remembered his tie. "Hey, can you tie one of these damn things?" he asked as she released him from her clutches. "Don't see why we all have to get dressed up as penguins anyway."

"Because it's the inaugural West Altadenia Alderman's Awards Gala Dinner," replied Allie. "And we all need to look the part. I'm not putting my dress on until the last minute," she added. "The material wrinkles too easily."

"I was wondering," admitted Cabe, looking her up and down. "You know you look beautiful in anything, even those sweatpants, but you might look out of place in them tonight. Even Happy's got a little black maternity dress to wear."

"She'll hate that," noted Allie, wrinkling her nose.

"She sure will," agreed Cabe. "But like you said, we've all gotta look the part. I just hope all the planning we've done for the last week pays off. I really wanna see Charlie's killer pay for what he did to the poor guy."

Allie nodded in agreement and started to straighten out Cabe's bow-tie. "So, how was your session with Toby this morning?" she asked, trying to sound casual. "Everything OK? I mean, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but…"

"Hey," said Cabe, interrupting her. "If there's one thing I've learned from the Doc it's that talking is good. And the session went well. Toby has a couple interesting theories and we're working on those right now."

"What kind of theories?" asked Allie, looping the end of the tie around to form one side of the bow.

"That photo I carried with me for years," replied Cabe. "Toby figures because I had it with me in Baghdad, looking at it doesn't just trigger happy memories of Amanda, it triggers all the guilt I feel about what happened with Walter's guidance system too."

"Oh," said Allie, as she tried to smooth the bow-tie. "Do you agree with him?"

"I think he's right," admitted Cabe. "I just never realised it before. So now I have a different picture of Amanda in my wallet I'll finally be able to process some of that guilt. That's what the Doc says, anyway."

Allie smiled sympathetically. "It makes sense," she said. "What else did he say?"

"He said I also need to work through my guilt about leaving Rebecca," explained Cabe. "Seems I have a whole lotta guilt to process," he added, rolling his eyes.

"I guess you've been carrying that guilt for a long time," noted Allie. "And that's not good for you. Not good at all. You know if you need to call Rebecca then you should. It might help to talk to her about it."

Cabe hesitated before answering. "That's what Toby suggested," he admitted. "But I… I didn't want to… y'know… I guess I didn't want to do anything that you'd feel uncomfortable about."

"I'm not threatened by her if that's what you mean?" replied Allie. "Cabe, Rebecca lost Amanda too, you both lost your daughter. You'll always have that bond with her and that's important. If Toby thinks you should call her, then call her."

Cabe sighed. "I guess," he said. "I'll think about it for a couple days."

Allie leaned in and planted a tender kiss on his lips. "I love you," she said. "And you know I'll support you, whatever decision you make."

Cabe held her face in his hands and looked deep into her eyes. "I couldn't get through any of this without you by my side," he admitted. Then he pulled her close and they kissed again. "I love you, Allie," he breathed, running one hand through her hair. "I love you so much."

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

"I look like a barrage balloon!"

Toby sighed deeply as Happy walked into the bedroom. She had changed into her new black dress in preparation for the awards gala, but her hair was a mess and she looked far from ready.

Toby knew it was normal for pregnant women to feel low at times, but he was really starting to worry about Happy. He didn't expect her to enjoy every minute of her pregnancy, but since they'd brought the twins home she had been particularly down. Lack of sleep was a big part of it, he acknowledged, but he knew he needed to keep on top of it before her mood got any worse. They hadn't planned to take on so much at once, but circumstances had led them to this point and Toby was determined that in their attempt to fulfil their dreams they weren't going to lose everything.

"Hey, you look beautiful," he replied. He stood up and greeted her with a kiss. He was only half dressed himself, with his crisp white shirt still unbuttoned and bare feet poking out from his smart trousers.

"I don't," insisted Happy. "At least the backache's gone, you're pretty good as massages, Doc," she added with a smile.

"See? I have my uses," grinned Toby.

"Do you think Dad'll be OK with the girls?" she asked. "He's never had them overnight before."

"He'll be fine," Toby tried to reassure her. He didn't tell her he planned to call Patrick at least ten times throughout the evening to check on them himself.

"I think I'm gonna go change," said Happy, turning away from her husband. "Those new black pants I bought will be OK with a shirt. It's not a fashion parade, we're trying to catch a killer."

"Wait," urged Toby, reaching out and grabbing her hand. "Don't change, the dress is perfect."

"I don't do dresses, Doc," insisted Happy, shaking herself free. "I've got a job to do tonight, I need to feel comfortable."

"Agreed, but when you tried on those new pants you said the elastic dug into your side," he reminded her. "In fact, you said all your clothes are uncomfortable right now. Maybe we could hit the mall tomorrow?"

"I don't wanna shop!" snapped Happy. "I just wanna… I wanna…" but she trailed off and turned away from him.

"Hap, talk to me," Toby urged, taking her by the hand again and leading her towards the bed.

Happy reluctantly allowed him to steer her across the room and they sat on the edge of the bed together. "I… I hate the way I look," she said quietly without making eye contact. "There, I said it. I don't understand why I feel like this and… and it sucks." She lifted her head and Toby wrapped her hands in his. "I waited so long to get pregnant, Toby and now… now it's driving me crazy. I've never cared about how I look before, I just pull on old jeans, a pair of boots and a sweater and I'm good to go, but now this…" she trailed off and ran one hand over her expanding baby bump and sighed deeply.

"Darlin', listen to me," said Toby, gently. "It's OK to feel this way, it's OK to be afraid of what's happening to your body."

"I'm not afraid," she insisted. "I… I…"

"Don't fight it," he urged. "Use it. Fear is the most powerful emotion and I know that out of all of us geniuses, you struggle the most with fear. The trick is not to let it overwhelm you."

"I… I don't know how to process the way I feel," she explained.

"That's because your low EQ has suddenly been flooded with pregnancy hormones," replied Toby. "And you've never experienced anything like it before."

"So what do I do?" asked Happy, fighting back tears.

"You listen to your wise old husband," replied Toby with a grin. "If you're struggling you've gotta tell me and we'll struggle through it together. I've never done this before either, remember? Let me help you, sugarplum. If I could carry our baby for you I would."

"No you wouldn't," replied Happy and the corners of her mouth twitched into a smile. "You're a wuss. You'd never have made it through the morning sickness and there's no way you could give birth. There's a reason why it's women who have to go through this, it's because we _can_."

"Hmmm, a little sexist there, don't you think, darlin'?" offered Toby with a wink.

"I've seen you get a paper cut," Happy pointed out.

"Fair comment," shrugged Toby. Then he kissed her again. "Here, let me show you something."

He stood up and hauled her to her feet. Then he spun her round, placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her gently so she'd take a few steps across the bedroom.

At first Happy had no idea where they were going, but then she realised they were heading towards the full length mirror. "No, no, Toby, don't," she said, turning her head away and trying to resist.

"It's OK," he insisted. "It's OK. Just a quick look. I promise you it'll be OK."

"I don't want to," she replied and she closed her eyes defiantly.

Toby stood close behind her and rested his chin on her shoulder. His hands slipped down her arms and he gripped her fingers. "I want you to take a look in the mirror and tell me what you see," he said in a calm voice.

Happy sighed and resigned herself to the fact that he wasn't going to let this go. Her eyes flickered open and she looked in the mirror. "I see a stupid moron standing behind me," she said.

"I think you mean 'handsome doctor'," replied Toby and Happy rolled her eyes. "Now, come on, lovebug. I want you to look at _you_."

Happy let out a slow breath. "I… I don't know what you want me to say, Doc?" she admitted. "I just see a short, fat person with bloodshot eyes."

"Shall I tell you what I see?" he offered. "I see the most incredible woman whose body is doing the most incredible thing, making a baby. Our baby. But I also see my wife, the genius engineer I fell in love with trying to deal with a lot on her own when she doesn't have to. Adopting twins and being pregnant, we're doing those things together. You're not alone."

He took her hands and used them to smooth down the shiny black material of the dress so it clung to her curvaceous torso. "There, look," he said in a soothing tone. "Baby Quintis."

A tear ran down Happy's cheek, taking her completely by surprise. "Our baby," she half-whispered.

"And sometimes Baby Quintis is going to make you feel things you didn't know you could feel," continued Toby. "They're your feelings and they're real, but just remember that I love you and I will always be here for you. You in that dress, or in your greasy overalls, whatever, I don't care, I'll be here."

Happy nodded. For a moment she couldn't speak, she just turned around and fell into Toby's arms. She'd never needed him more. He was right, of course, the adoption and her pregnancy had become too much and she'd tried to pretend she was fine when she wasn't. "It's like, I've never been so happy in my life before, Doc," she said. "But at the same time I just want to scream and throw things."

"I know," he replied, planting a kiss on the top of her head. "I know."

"How can I be mad at an unborn baby I want so badly?" she asked.

"You're not mad at the baby," Toby tried to assure her. "I promise you, you're not."

Happy nodded. "I'll wear the dress," she said. "I'm proud to be making this baby, I don't need to hide it under a sweater."

Toby smiled. "I love you so much," he said. "Don't you ever forget that."

"How can I?" retorted Happy. "You tell me, like, a hundred times a day."

"Do you want me to stop?"

Happy smiled. "Never. And I love you too, you big goofball. Now go find your bow-tie, we've got a stupid gala dinner to get to."

"Y'know, when we get home tonight don't take off that dress straight away… will you."

"Perv!"

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"You don't have to come you know." Sylvester stood in front of the tiny mirror in his bathroom and tried to smooth his hair as he spoke.

"And miss the chance to walk into a gala dinner on the arm of a handsome Alderman? Just try and stop me!" replied Kimberley. She was watching him through the crack in door and she smiled as he adjusted his bow-tie for the fifth time. "I've never seen you in a tux before," she said. "It looks good on you."

"I hate formal occasions," sighed Sylvester. "Especially fake ones. If I slip up tonight we might never catch Charlie's killer. I'm so nervous."

"Hey, relax," urged Kimberley. "Remember what Toby said about breathing."

"Toby's exact words were ' _remember to breathe and try to forget someone in the audience is a murderer'_ ," quoted Sylvester as he walked out of the bathroom. "Not very reassuring."

"OK, well just forget the part about the murderer," replied Kimberley. "All you have to do is give your speech and hand out the awards. Let the others worry about the murderer."

"Can we stop saying that word? Please?"

"You mean 'murderer'? Oh... sorry."

"Can I run through my speech with you again?"

"Sylvester! You've done that five times already!" Kimberley exclaimed. "Why don't we just sit down and try to relax instead?" She took his hand and half-dragged him towards the sofa. "Now sit!" she ordered.

Sylvester immediately did as he was told. It was only then that he realised she was already wearing her evening dress. It was gold with tiny sleeves and a sweetheart neckline and it shimmered in the light. "Oh... oh..." he stammered. "You... you... I... I..."

Kimberley giggled. What?" she prompted, innocently.

"Your dress," said Sylvester. "It's... nice."

"Nice? It cost me almost two hundred bucks!"

Sylvester looked horrified. "What?" he exclaimed. "Oh my, you didn't have to... let me pay for that."

"No way!" she answered. "I never get to wear anything like this, I feel like a movie star. It's worth every cent."

Sylvester smiled. "I'm the luckiest Alderman in the world," he said. He lifted her hand and pressed it to his lips.

Kimberley blushed hard and smiled back at him. "I'd like to... to kiss you," she said. "Is that OK?"

They'd kissed before, of course, but Sylvester knew she wasn't talking about chaste kisses on the cheek, or even those few times their lips had met. She wanted more... and so did he. "I'd like that," he breathed and before he could say anything else Kimberley's lips were on his.

He brought his hand up to gently caress the side of her face as they kissed and she slipped her fingers into the curls at the back of his neck. Sylvester allowed his emotions to take control and he deepened the kiss, closing his eyes and committing every moment to his eidetic memory.

Suddenly Kimberley broke away and he almost yelped with disappointment. "What is it?" he asked.

"I just wanted to make sure you're OK with this," she said.

"Why? Did... did I do it wrong? I... I don't have a lot of experience."

Kimberley giggled. "No, silly, you did everything right. At least, it felt right to me. I don't have a lot of experience either."

"It felt right to me too," agreed Sylvester. "Can we... can we do it some more?"

Kimberley nodded and in an instant his lips were back on hers. Sylvester leaned back against the cushions and Kimberley moved with him, pressing her body against hers. He ran his hand down her back, enjoying the closeness and losing himself in the overwhelming sensations.

"Sylvester," whispered Kimberley as their lips parted. "I think I could get used to this."

"Mmmm," agreed Sylvester, wrapping his arms around her tightly. His heart was pounding and he could feel his breath quickening, but it didn't matter. Nothing else mattered in that moment. "Me too," he said. "Me too."

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Now, you remember the plan, don't you?"

"Yes, Walter!" exclaimed Paige. She was wearing nothing but a robe and she was waving her hands around, fingers spread wide, to dry the freshly applied nail polish as she spoke. "We've been over it a hundred times. I get talking to Captain Sanders and wait for a signal from Toby. If Sanders is clean I move onto Doctor Sametti. What I don't understand is didn't we already decide both of them are innocent?"

"We decided neither of them killed Charlie," Walter corrected her. "But they're far from innocent. I just wish I could piece this puzzle together."

"Hey, you're a genius, not a detective," Paige reminded him. "Now, where's your tux? We're leaving in an hour."

"Paige, it doesn't take me an hour to get dressed," retorted Walter. "But I assume you intend to apply numerous beauty products before we go, so you're welcome to use the bathroom first."

Paige smiled. It was good to see Walter back at full strength again, a week of taking things easy had almost driven them both crazy. "When we get back later, maybe we could… y'know," began Paige, sucking her lower lip in between her teeth and biting down seductively.

Walter smiled and reached out to her with one hand, tenderly stroking her arm. "You mean you think we should make our first attempt at insemination?" he asked. He leaned in to kiss her, but she spun away from him.

"Walter!" she exclaimed. "Please don't say it like that! I'm not a barnyard animal!"

Walter's brow furrowed in confusion. "I… I didn't say you were?"

Paige took a deep breath and tried to calm down. She actually didn't mind the various charts that had appeared on the wall over the last few days – just as Toby had warned her they would - she didn't even object to the twenty six links he'd emailed her to various scientific studies about pregnancy and conception – although she hadn't read any of them – but she refused to be ' _inseminated_ '.

"I know, I'm sorry I snapped," she said. "It's just… people _make love_ , Walter. Horses and cows are inseminated. I want you to _make love_ to me, I want it to be beautiful… I want it to be special when we do this, do you understand?"

Walter's face fell. "Isn't it always special?" he asked her quietly.

"Oh, Walter, yes!" she exclaimed. She took his hands in hers and squeezed them affectionately. "Of course it is, but that's exactly my point. Ever since we decided to try for a baby, the whole process has become just that… a process. And we haven't even started yet because you've been recovering."

"S…s…so you want to simply continue with our intimacy as before and… and leave pregnancy to chance?"

"Yes… no… no, I don't mean it like that," she tried to explain. "Look, I'm taking folic acid and I'm going to start eating all those foods you suggested and it makes sense to keep a track of my cycle, but… but none of that should take away the romance. I love you Walter and our baby, if this works, will be made with love."

Walter frowned again. "Our baby will be made with a single spermatozoa and…"

"No!" Paige let out an exasperated sigh. "I took biology class, I know about all of that, but what I'm trying to say is for now, please, can we just forget about science? Please?"

"Forget…" Walter slowly began to understand. "I… I think I can do that," he said.

Paige smiled. "I know you can," she said.

Walter pulled her towards him and planted a lingering kiss on her lips. "I'm sorry about the insemination thing," he said as they broke apart.

Paige laughed. "Good," she said. Then she ran her fingers through his hair, forgetting about her nail polish. "So… um… how quickly can you put on a tux?" she asked. "It's just that I think I can get my beauty routine down to fifteen minutes so I figure we have, like, a half hour to kill at least."

Walter's pulse quickened. "N…n…now?" he queried. "Y…y…you want to… now?"

Paige shrugged and pressed herself against him. "Oh," she said, raising her eyebrows. "I think all that rest was good for you," she said in a low, husky voice.

Then before she had chance to say another word, Walter swung her into his arms and carried her to the bed. "I'm fully recovered," he confirmed as he gently lowered her onto the pillows. "Let me show you."

 _To be continued…_


	19. Chapter 19 - And The Award Goes To

_**Ralph and Walter have a heart to heart, Happy bonds with Paige and the team move closer to unravelling the murder mystery.**_

 **I'm so grateful to everyone reading this story and I really appreciate all the reviews! I hope you enjoy this new chapter.**

 **CHAPTER 19.**

"Where are they, Cabe? They should be here by now!"

Sylvester was getting really nervous again. He knew the plan – as much as Walter had shared, at least – and he'd prepared his speech, but being crammed in a back office at the theatre was making him feel claustrophobic.

He just wanted to get the evening over and done with so he could go home… and be alone with Kimberley.

"Relax, kid, they'll be here." Cabe patted Sylvester reassuringly on the back, glancing at his watch as he did so. "Walt's probably making some last minute changes to the video."

"And by video you mean the digital audio visual presentation, unless we've time travelled back to Ninety Eighty Six," quipped Toby.

"How exactly is the AV supposed to help anyway?" asked Happy.

Cabe shrugged. "No idea, it's Walt's baby," he admitted. "I'm hoping he'll share his plan with us when he gets here."

"Sorry we're late!"

Everyone spun round at the sound of Paige's voice. She had an armful of items the geniuses had decided they needed for their plan. Just behind her was Walter carrying two laptop bags.

Toby raised his eyebrows as they rushed in. "Lose track of time?" he asked, a grin spreading slowly across his face.

Paige glared at him. Of course Toby would have immediately figured out why they were late – she was probably giving off some kind of post-coital markers that she didn't understand - but she didn't want to discuss it. Especially not in front of Ralph.

Toby decided he would let it go… for now.

"Have the caterers been briefed?" asked Walter, as he sat next to Ralph and started connecting one of his laptops to the one the young genius was already using.

"They know to stay outta the way, son," confirmed Cabe. "You spoke to them yourself yesterday, did you forget already?"

"Are the… the cameras in the flower arrangements in place?" queried Walter, ignoring Cabe's question.

"All done, boss," confirmed Happy. "I already texted you earlier about it."

"Ah… yes, of course," nodded Walter.

Toby sidled up to him and spoke in a low voice. "You OK, Walt? You seem a little distracted."

"What? No?" insisted Walter, blushing lightly.

Toby leaned in, stifling a grin. "Doin' the wild thing in the middle of the day can be _very_ distracting," he whispered. "Focus, pal, focus."

Walter blushed hard and coughed. "So, um, Ralph, are… are you sure you'll be OK in here monitoring all the feeds?"

"Yep," agreed Ralph, patting his laptop. "You guys all got your comms in?"

Toby tapped his left ear. "Just give me a running commentary, buddy. You know how to spot all the markers. One of them is bound to slip up once they realise what we've got in store for them."

Just then the door opened and Kimberley poked her head into the small room. "There's a Doctor Snyder here," she said. "She's really early, what shall I tell her?"

"I'd better talk to her," said Toby. "I don't want her to blow my cover. Sametti and Sanders still think I'm Doctor Brandon West."

"It makes sense to go along with your undercover identity this evening to avoid arousing suspicion," noted Walter.

"Do you know how hard it is to pretend to be called Brandon?" whined Toby, but no one seemed to care so he left the room with Kimberley to speak to Charlie's ex-wife.

"I want to test the feeds," said Walter. "I need everyone sitting out there at the tables in pairs. Talk amongst yourselves."

"Hey, Walter," began Ralph after everyone else had left the room. "This plan of yours, it's not dangerous, is it?"

"Only in as much as the culprit has already killed someone," replied Walter. Then he noticed Ralph's expression. It took him a moment to conclude it was most likely one of concern. "But… but there's no need to worry," he added, trying to reassure Ralph.

"The thing is," replied Ralph. "We're finally going to get our own place together, all three of us. You and my mom have taken so long to get here and… and if anything happens to you, I… I don't know what I'd do."

Walter was taken aback. "Ralph, I'll be careful, I promise," he replied. "The… the guest list is intentionally made up of high ranking police officers and… and other government agents, so… so if whoever murdered Charlie Snyder tries anything stupid they'll be stopped."

Ralph nodded. "I don't want you getting hurt," he said, quietly. "I need you in my life, Walter."

Walter swallowed hard as a wave of emotion almost overwhelmed him. "I… I need you in mine too, Ralph," he said. "I… I love you."

xXxXxXxXxXx

"The guests will be arriving soon," said Paige as she watched the team making last minute preparations. She smiled at Walter and a warm, contented feeling washed over her, but he didn't notice, he was too busy setting up the equipment.

The theatre was lit up with an amazing display of lighting effects designed by Happy and the stage was set. All the awards were lined up on a table behind the lectern and Sylvester was currently practicing walking on and off the stage without tripping over any of the trailing cables.

"I know it's a fake occasion, but I'm kinda excited," smiled Kimberley. "And kinda scared too," she added. "I just want this all to be over with. Charlie's funeral is next week, I want whoever killed him to pay."

"It's a pity they've only just been able to release the body," noted Paige. "But that's how it is with a murder investigation. I'm so sorry."

Kimberley smiled gratefully. "I should go wait in the foyer," she said. "Captain Sanders is gonna be so surprised to see me here!"

"I'll go and check on Ralph," added Paige, realising there was very little else she could do for now.

She left the auditorium and made her way along the corridor towards the office, but she hadn't got very far when she heard a voice calling out to her.

"Hey, waitress."

It was Happy, of course. Paige smiled, Happy still called her 'waitress' occasionally, even though she hadn't waited a table for over five years, but she didn't mind at all. She turned round to see the genius engineer walking along the corridor a little awkwardly in unfamiliar kitten-heeled sandals.

"Hey," Paige said with a smile. "The trick is to take smaller steps."

"Oh, right, thanks," replied Happy. "Um, look, I don't know if this is a good time, but… can I ask your advice about something?"

"Sure," replied Paige.

She was a little puzzled, it wasn't often that Happy came to her for advice. Despite knowing each other for five years, Paige had never felt able to connect to Happy as much as she had to the other geniuses. She had come to realise, however, that Happy still considered her a good friend, even though she had difficulty expressing her feelings.

"So, um, when you were pregnant with Ralph," began Happy. "Did it make you go… kinda… loopy?"

"Loopy?" repeated Paige.

"Yeah, y'know, like you did dumb stuff," clarified Happy. "Or… thought dumb thoughts."

Paige's voice softened. "It's not easy sometimes, is it," she noted.

Happy shook her head. "Half the time I don't feel like… like myself," she admitted. "And… and Toby tells me it's OK and it's normal, but…"

"But you wanted to hear it from someone who's lived it, not someone who's studied it."

Happy nodded. "Something like that," she agreed.

"When I was pregnant, I lost my keys, like, a hundred times," began Paige, a small smile crossing her lips as she spoke. "And I started watching all these crappy Hallmark Christmas movies in the middle of the night when the heartburn kept me awake. It wasn't even Christmas!"

"Jeez, I hope I never get that bad," noted Happy with a wry smile.

Paige laughed. She couldn't imagine Happy watching a Hallmark Christmas movie if the future of western civilisation depended on it. Then she became more serious. She had an idea of what this was about and she had nothing but sympathy for Happy. "And… and I couldn't stop thinking about… about bad things."

Happy nodded. "Yeah, me too," she admitted. "And don't get me wrong, the Doc's been amazing – don't tell him I said that."

"I won't," agreed Paige with a smile.

"He knows what to say to make me feel better," continued Happy. "He understands how I'm feeling even when I don't even understand it myself."

"You're lucky you've got Toby, he's so supportive," replied Paige. "Drew was… well, Drew was barely there, physically or emotionally." She remembered how he'd arrange to go out with his teammates night after night and leave her alone in their tiny apartment, young and pregnant and scared.

"That sucks."

Paige sighed deeply. "Yeah," she agreed.

Paige's destructive relationship with Drew had affected her far more deeply than she'd realised at the time and it was only in the past year that she'd come to understand it and how it had affected all her relationships with people ever since. Her fear of being alone, of being abandoned, of being unable to trust anyone had all contributed to her almost breaking up with Walter a year ago.

"I guess I wish… I wish my mom was here," said Happy, quietly. "I never knew her, but this is the kind of thing we're supposed to talk to our moms about, isn't it?"

"I think so," agreed Paige with a sympathetic nod. "Some nights, especially near the end, I used to think about calling my mom, just so I could talk to her and by that point I had no relationship with her at all. I didn't even have a number for her. She was probably in jail anyway, or on the run, I don't even know."

The two women stood in silence for a moment, lamenting their troubled upbringings.

Eventually it was Paige who broke the silence. "Listen, if you ever need to talk to someone, someone who's been there with swollen ankles and cravings and mood swings, just call me, OK? It's a girl-thing, Toby'll understand."

Happy nodded gratefully. "Appreciate that, Paige," she said. "I'm not really a _girl-thing_ kinda girl, but thanks."

"Being pregnant is the ultimate girl thing!" exclaimed Paige with a grin.

Having a baby when she was still so young herself had been incredibly hard, but Paige wouldn't have changed it for anything because now she had Ralph. And if it hadn't been for her genius son she would never have met Walter and found her true home with Scorpion. Now she was planning to do it all over again – she might even be pregnant before Happy had her baby, she realised - but this time things would be different. This time she would be loved and supported the whole time by her new family and she hoped Happy understood that she was loved and supported too.

Happy laughed. "I guess you're right. Um… thank you."

"Any time," replied Paige. "It's what families are for."

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

"They're all eating dessert," announced Paige, running into the back office to join the rest of the team. "So it's the awards next. Why did you want us all in here, Walter?"

"So we can run through what we know already," replied Walter. "Toby?"

"OK, so Sanders is here with a hot babe who's way outta his league," began Toby, but he immediately realised his mistake when he saw Happy glaring at him. "Um… um… with a _sophisticated-looking woman_ ," he corrected himself. "She's still way outta his league… just sayin'. Diamond necklace, designer purse, definitely not his usual type and from what I'm seeing they've only just met."

"He hired an escort?" exclaimed Happy, screwing up her nose in disgust.

"All for an ego boost," explained Toby. "Showing up here alone would _not_ have done his reputation any good. He swaggers around like he owns the place."

"Guy's a jerk," agreed Happy. "But is he our killer?"

Toby shrugged. "Wish I knew, darlin'," he replied. "I think once we unleash Walt's little surprise he might give me more to go on."

"Paige, did you clone their phones?" asked Walter.

"Sanders' and Sametti's," replied Paige, passing Walter the cloning device. "He's a creep too," she added.

"I noticed his hands drifted towards… inappropriate places when you were talking to him," agreed Walter. "I admit I found it… uncomfortable to watch you flirting with him."

"I was only doing what you guys asked me to do!" exclaimed Paige, with a frown. "It's not like I was enjoying it. Are you… are you jealous?"

Toby and Happy exchanged an uncomfortable glance. The last thing they needed now was for Paige and Walter to get into an argument.

"Jealous?" repeated Walter. "No, not at all… um, that is… should I be?"

Paige laughed. "Oh, Walter, we'll talk about this later."

Happy and Toby both let out a sigh of relief.

"Now, I'll send a text to Sanders purporting to be from Sametti," explained Walter, tapping a few keys on his keyboard. "And another to Sametti from Sanders. ' _Dear Captain, Surprised to make your acquaintance again so soon, but…_ "

"Stop!" said Toby, stepping forward. "Sametti is ex-military, not Lord Snooty-Pants. The language is all wrong. We want our lifeguard captain shaking in his flip-flops, not making dinner plans," He leaned over Walter's shoulder and typed out an appropriate message. "And now one from Sanders… there, that'll rattle our mysterious medic's cage."

"Sly, your speech was very sweet, by the way," smiled Paige. "You had me convinced."

"Thank you," replied Sylvester, blushing hard. "I know it's a made-up occasion, but I meant what I said about the people of West Altadenia. We're good people… apart from the murderers, of course."

"When do we play the video?" asked Cabe. "Or whatever it's called," he added, before Toby made another smart remark.

"After all the main awards are handed out," replied Ralph. "Look!" he exclaimed, pointing to his tablet screen. "Sametti texted back."

"Oh, nice," grinned Toby, reading over Ralph's shoulder. "He's freaking out. Sanders is playing it cool for now. OK, we have to get these two together. Sly, it's time to do your thing."

Sylvester shuddered. "This is the part where I have to shake everyone's hand isn't it," he said with a sigh. "I really haven't been looking forward to this part."

"You haven't been looking forward to any of it," Ralph pointed out.

Sylvester frowned. "Thank you, Ralph," he replied, his voice uncharacteristically snappy.

"Let's get back out there," said Walter, getting to his feet. "Sly, I'll need you to stall Sanders, keep him up on the stage for as long as you can."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"You'll think of something," smiled Paige.

Happy walked slowly around the auditorium as Sylvester began calling people to the stage to hand out their awards. He talked to Sanders for much longer than any of the others until Walter's voice in his ear told him he could stop and the Captain finally left the stage.

The lights were dim and the catering staff were moving between the tables clearing away the remains of the meal making it difficult to keep track of the guests. Happy's attention switched from Captain Sanders to Doctor Sametti. Sanders appeared relaxed – as far as she could tell - but Sametti seemed more agitated. His guest – a woman around his age, dressed as someone half her age – was all over him, clutching his hand tightly and looking lovingly into his eyes, but the doctor was definitely not returning the attention.

"Doc," hissed Happy, pressing her finger into her ear. "Have you got eyes on Sametti?"

"Watching him like a hawk," confirmed her husband's voice in her ear.

Cabe's voice soon followed. "You want me to close in?" he asked.

"Not too close," replied Toby.

"Sly'll be calling him up to get his award any minute." This time it was Walter's voice.

"I'll stay close," said Happy. "Can't help feeling he's a flight risk."

"You're not wrong, darlin'," agreed Toby.

Happy's eyes darted across the room to where Toby was standing. It was unusual to see him without his hat, but of course she still recognised him in the shadows. She felt the urge to go to him, to hold his hand and look into his eyes the way the woman with Sametti was looking into his, but she knew she had to stay put and do her job. Her feet were uncomfortable and she was beginning to wish she'd put her boots on, dress or no dress. She instinctively ran her hands over her bump. The baby had been kicking her all evening and it was more than a little distracting.

"...Doctor Daniel Sametti!"

Happy tensed as Sylvester announced the man's name and the doctor began making his way towards the stage to collect his award. She glanced at Sanders, but he was busy talking to his 'date' and didn't seem at all concerned that Sametti was walking only a few feet away from his table. Or so she thought.

"Did you see that?" said Toby through the comms. "Sanders deliberately looking everywhere but in Sametti's direction."

"They're both making themselves look guilty," came Cabe's voice.

"Guilty of something," agreed Happy. Her eyes were fixed on Sanders as Sametti gave a brief acceptance speech before heading back to his table. Sylvester's next words suddenly snapped Happy's attention back to the stage. She couldn't quite believe what she was hearing.

"The next award goes to… Walter O'Brien!" announced Sylvester. He quickly turned over his page of notes, before glancing off stage with a puzzled look on his face. Realising he had no choice but to continue, he spoke again. "For… for his outstanding contribution to science."

"Wait… what?" hissed Happy. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Walter making his way to the stage as the crowd applauded. She glanced at Toby again who was shaking his head.

Sylvester stepped away from the microphone and turned away from the audience. "This wasn't in my original notes," he whispered, pressing his finger against the comm in his ear.

"You bet it wasn't," agreed Toby. "This is One Ninety Seven feeding his own ego! Walt, this isn't the plan!"

"Shut up, Toby!" hissed Walter as he approached the stage. "It's part of the plan now."

"Son, you gotta tell us if you change the plan!" exclaimed Cabe, walking between the tables to join Happy.

"Walter!" exclaimed Paige, trying to keep her voice down. "You're putting yourself in the line of fire!"

"Line of fire?" exclaimed Sylvester from the back of the stage as Walter began his acceptance speech. "No one said anything about fire!"

"Relax, Sly," urged Toby. "It's just an expression. I'm sure Walt knows what he's doing… even if we don't." He turned to Paige who was by now standing right next to him and slipped his comm device out of his ear. "I _hope_ he knows what he's doing," he added.

Paige shrugged. "Please be careful, Walter!" she urged.

"Don't worry, Mom, I already told him that," came Ralph's voice over the comm.

"What?" exclaimed Paige. "Did you know about this? We need to have a little chat about keeping secrets, young man."

"Paige, Paige," began Toby, waving his hands in front of her in an attempt to keep her calm. "You can have that little chat later, OK? Right now we've got bigger things to worry about." He nodded towards the stage and Paige was suddenly aware of what Walter was saying.

"…and I'd like to dedicate this award to another local hero who… who was sadly taken from us recently."

He turned around to face the projector screen behind him and waited for a moment until Ralph started the AV presentation. A gentle melody began to play and then the screen was filled with images of Charlie Snyder.

Happy glanced at Cabe with her eyebrows raised. This was the moment they'd all been waiting for. "Here we go," she said.

Cabe nodded. "Things are about to get interesting."

 _To be continued..._


	20. Chapter 20 - Case Closed

**The murder case is finally solved, but not without danger for the team!**

 ** _This chapter took a little longer to write than I anticipated and I'm really sorry for the delay. I hope you're all still with me on this one! Thank you all for your support and reviews so far. I hope you enjoy this chapter, all comments welcome._**

 **Chapter 20.**

The next ten minutes were chaotic to say the least. It was Ralph's voice over the comms that first alerted Cabe to the immediate problem. "Sanders and his date are heading for the exit!" He said, squinting as his eyes tried to focus on the grainy CCTV image on his laptop screen.

"Copy that," replied Cabe.

The video was still playing on the screen at the back of the stage. Kimberley squeezed Sylvester's hand tightly as the images of Charlie filled the screen behind them and he squeezed back. He understood how seeing pictures of someone you'd loved and lost to tragedy could make you both happy and sad in equal measure.

"Now Sametti's on his feet!" exclaimed Ralph.

"On it," said Toby and he nimbly made his way across the floor, skirting around the tables where the other guests were still finishing their meals.

"Herd them this way," urged Walter, running across the stage.

"Herd them?" repeated Cabe, pressing his finger against the comm in his ear. "They're not sheep!"

"But they'll act like sheep if we act like sheepdogs," replied Toby.

Happy rolled her eyes. "Woof," she said sarcastically as she ran across the room, pushing a poor unsuspecting waiter out of her way as she passed.

"Darlin', um... I'm surprisingly turned on by you barking like a dog," said Toby, momentarily distracted.

"Toby! Focus!" yelled Walter.

Sametti and Sanders suddenly found themselves unable to get away and it was obvious they were both in a state of panic. They looked at each other, then Sanders tried to sidestep Walter and Sametti did his best to get around Cabe, but they both quickly realised that they were cornered.

"I don't know who you people are, or what your game is," began Sanders. "But you're blocking my exit."

"My name is Walter O'Brien," explained Walter, in a calm, but strangely menacing tone. "And my game is justice."

"And now Walt's talking like Batman!" exclaimed Toby. "This is a very interesting development."

"Not the time, Doc!" snapped Cabe. Then he turned to Walter. "So who am I supposed to be arresting, Walt?" he asked.

"Arresting!" exclaimed Sametti. "Because of that dumb seaweed? Look, the dead guy was some kind of saint - saving the planet, I get that now - but I ain't gonna feel guilty about the seaweed."

"Fine, don't feel guilty about the seaweed," replied Paige, fighting to keep her voice calm. "But maybe feel guilty about killing a man?"

"Killing? Me?" Sametti took a step backwards as he spoke. "You don't think… wait a minute, I didn't kill anyone! I didn't even know the guy!"

"He's telling the truth," muttered Toby. "Think we already discussed this, Walt," he added, struggling to understand what Walter was trying to achieve. They knew Sametti wasn't the killer already, Toby had told Walter days ago based on their encounter at the morgue. "The only thing we have on this guy at the moment is faking the autopsy report."

"I know," agreed Walter. Then he turned to Sanders. "You seemed keen to leave just now," he said. "Something to hide?"

"Everyone's got something to hide," sneered Sanders. "Now get out of my way, before I call the cops."

"Oh, the cops are already here," grinned Cabe. "Did you forget? The Chief of Police picked up his award just before you did so don't even think about trying to run."

"I want a lawyer," replied Sanders, adopting an arrogant stance. "This is a joke."

"Don't see anyone laughing," Toby pointed out. "And you haven't been arrested… yet. You're not our killer either… but… you knew all about toxic seaweed. Oh… oh… guilt markers!" Toby waved his finger in the captain's direction.

"Guilty of what?" asked Cabe.

"Doctor Sametti was involved in chemical weapons testing for the military," Walter began. "Illegal testing," he clarified. "And it all came back to haunt you, isn't that right?" he added, glaring at the doctor.

Sametti opened and closed his mouth in disbelief, but could offer no defence.

"You were told to dispose of the evidence, or you were going to be exposed," continued Walter. "So you tried to dump it in the ocean, only Charlie Snyder found out and reported you to Sanders."

"But Sanders saw an opportunity," said Toby as the pieces started to click into place. "He agreed to help in return for… money?" He watched Sanders reaction, before correcting his guess. "No, this isn't about money is it… this is about way more than that…" Toby's face fell into a frown as he tried to figure out the details.

Paige looked from Walter to Toby with a puzzled look on her face. "Can someone please explain to us non-geniuses who killed Charlie?"

Before Walter could answer, Sametti and Sanders pointed to each other. "He did!" they said in unison.

"What!" exclaimed Sanders. "Me? You're the one who faked the autopsy report!"

"To cover your ass!" replied Sametti, indignantly. "After you strangled the guy."

Sanders turned to Walter. "You're not really gonna believe this jerk, are you? This whole thing got way outta hand when Snyder starting sniffing around. The doc here panicked and killed him. I wish I'd never agreed to cover for him."

"You've got a nerve, Captain," sneered Sametti. "After what we talked about that night…" he shook his head in disgust. "I didn't kill that lifeguard! You killed him before he could spill to the cops. No one was supposed to get killed!"

"OK, OK, enough!" yelled Cabe. "Can someone tell me what the hell is going on? Walter?"

Walter had been uncharacteristically silent while the two men had been throwing accusations at each other.

"Walter?" prompted Paige, but he said nothing.

"C'mon, Walt!" yelled Toby. "This is all getting kinda weird now. Care to share what's going through that genius head of yours with the group?"

Walter swallowed hard. "Neither of these men killed Charlie," he said, quietly.

"We already know that!" exclaimed Happy. "Although watching them accuse each other was kinda fun," she added, chuckling to herself.

"But…" began Walter. "But…"

"You're freaking me out a little now, One Ninety Seven," said Toby, suddenly concerned.

Walter pressed his finger to his ear. "Ralph, do you have eyes on Kaye Snyder and her boyfriend?"

"Who, I might add, is even more creepy-looking in person," added Paige with a shudder.

"I didn't get to speak to him yet" added Toby. "But I'll take your word on that one, Paige."

"Ralph!" Walter's voice was more urgent now.

Suddenly Paige realised her son hadn't responded. The colour drained from her face. "Ralph!" she yelled, trying to stay calm. "Ralph! Where are you?"

Without saying another word, Walter and Paige raced off towards the back office where Ralph had been monitoring the video feeds all evening. Toby and Happy followed with Sylvester and Kimberley hot on their heels.

Cabe spoke to one of the many representatives of the LAPD who had formed a crowd around the scene. "Arrest these two morons!" he ordered.

"For what?" asked a tall, skinny police officer who had earlier collected one of the bogus awards from Sylvester and who, like all the other officers in the building, had been pre-warned that the murderer would be revealed this evening.

"I'm not entirely sure," admitted Cabe. "But it has something to do with seaweed." With that he ran off after the others, leaving the police officers slightly bemused.

When Cabe arrived at the office, his worst fears were realised. The locked door had been kicked in and there was no sign of Ralph. Everyone was in a state of panic.

Kaye Snyder was lying on the floor with Toby at her side. She had clearly been knocked unconscious and was just starting to come round.

Sylvester sat at the laptop screen, frantically tapping keys.

"What happened?" yelled Cabe.

"Don't know," admitted Happy. She clenched her fists tightly at her sides, trying to resist the urge to hit something.

This wasn't supposed to happen. Ralph was supposed to be safe in here. She couldn't help the anger that coursed through her body. Then she looked at Paige and realised she must be going through ten times what she was.

"Take it easy," urged Toby as he helped Kaye to a sitting position on the floor. He shone the light from his phone into her eyes and winced as the extent of her concussion became apparent.

"Where's my son!" yelled Paige, dropping to her knees beside Toby and getting her face uncomfortably close to the injured woman. "Who did this? Where's my son?"

Toby put his hand on Paige's forearm, trying to calm her, but she shook him free and he quickly realised even his skills were no match for her incredibly strong maternal feelings. She wasn't going to calm down until Ralph was safely back in her arms.

Paige got to her feet and headed for the door.

"Paige, wait," said Cabe, but she was already out of the room.

Cabe shrugged and ran after her and Happy followed them both. They had no idea if Ralph was even still in the theatre, but, like Paige, neither of them were prepared to stand around doing nothing.

Kaye tried to speak, but all that came out was a moan.

"It's OK," Toby tried to reassure her. Then he looked up at Walter who was standing perfectly still. Toby could almost see his mind working. "Walt?" he prompted.

"This… this is my fault," said Walter, quietly.

"Not the time for that famous Walter O'Brien 'I-blame-myself' crap, pal," snapped Toby. He glanced back at Kaye with concern before looking up again at Walter. "OK, so my guess is the creepy looking guy really is our killer?"

Walter nodded.

"And now he has Ralph!" exclaimed Sylvester as sweat began to bead at his temples.

Walter nodded again. His mind was running through scenarios and for a moment he couldn't focus. He should have explained his plan to everyone… but there hadn't been time. He shouldn't have left Ralph alone… but he should have been safe in this room.

Kimberley's voice cut into his thoughts. "He could be anywhere!" she gasped Kimberley, clutching Sylvester's shoulders tightly.

Sylvester nodded his head and tried to stay calm, returning his attention to the computer screens. "Someone pulled the plug on all the feeds," he announced, hitting the keys on the keyboard harder than before as if that would somehow bring the blank screens back to life.

Then suddenly Walter's eyes widened. "We should be able to track his phone!" he said and he sat himself next to Sylvester and began working on the other computer.

Kaye grabbed Toby's arm. "Pete… Pete killed Charlie… I… I had no idea…" she gasped.

"It's alright, just breathe," urged Toby. "This isn't your fault."

Kimberley leaned in towards Sylvester. "Pete?" she whispered.

"Her creepy looking boyfriend," Sylvester explained in a low voice and Kimberley's eyes widened with recognition.

"There!" exclaimed Walter suddenly as the main screen filled with a string of numbers. "Cabe! You still with me?"

"We're in the parking lot," came Cabe's voice over the comms. "Nothing here," he added, dejectedly.

"Listen, Cabe, Ralph's phone is still in… in the building!" explained Walter, urgently. "I'm just getting a location… got it! He's up in the lighting gallery!"

"Copy that," replied Cabe.

"We'll meet you there, boss!" added Happy.

"Be careful, Hap!" Toby called out. "Pregnant! Remember?"

"Haven't forgotten, Doc," came Happy's reply.

"I'll stay here with Kaye," said Kimberley and she crouched beside the injured woman.

Toby nodded and followed Walter out of the room.

Sylvester was about to follow them, but then he looked back at Kimberley and something made him change his mind. He knew Walter and the others would do everything they could to find Ralph, but a surge of feelings coursed through him and he didn't want to leave Kimberley here alone, not with a murderer on the loose. Instead he got to his knees beside her and helped her tend to Kaye.

Walter was first up the steps to the gallery and he flung the door open as Cabe, Paige and Happy joined Toby right behind him.

Paige thought her heart was going to beat its way out of her chest. Her worst fear was that something bad would happen to Ralph. She'd tried to protect him, but she realised a long time ago that when it came to working with Scorpion she couldn't stop him using his skills to help the team solve whatever problem they had, especially now he was older. She still wished she'd insisted he stay behind this evening though.

For a moment no one could see in the dark and Walter almost tripped over some lighting cables as they all ran into the room. Then suddenly they heard a voice.

"Walter? Mom?"

Paige's heart skipped a beat. "Ralph!" she called out, just as Happy found the light switch.

Everyone squinted as their eyes got used to the sudden brightness. Ralph was sitting on the floor in the corner of the room with his arms tied to a post. Walter and Paige scrambled to get to him.

"I'm OK, Mom," he insisted as they quickly untied the electrical cord that had been loosely wrapped around his wrists.

Paige pulled him into a hug as soon as he was free, kissing his hair and stroking his back. "Are you OK?" she asked. "Are you hurt? Let Toby check you over."

Toby took a step closer, but he quickly realised that Ralph appeared to be uninjured.

"Mom, I'm fine," insisted Ralph as Paige released him from her arms. He turned to Walter. "The creepy looking guy! He's the murderer!" he said urgently.

"I know, Ralph," replied Walter. "I know… and I'm sorry." He wrapped his arms around Ralph and tried to calm himself, forcing dark thoughts from his mind.

"Walter, he's scared and confused," continued Ralph, pulling himself out of Walter's clutches. He glanced at Toby. "I was reading markers," he explained. "He doesn't have a plan."

"And a killer on the run without a plan is dangerous," said Toby. He pressed his finger to the comm in his left ear. "Sly, you there, pal?"

But he got no response. Toby exchanged a worried glance with Walter.

"Sly!" yelled Walter. "Can you hear me?"

Still no reply.

"Come on," said Cabe and he raced out of the room.

"Oh my god," said Paige under her breath as she followed them.

She couldn't believe this was happening and a part of her wanted to blame Walter. Why hadn't he just gone to the police with his suspicions? Why had he dragged them all into this ridiculous plan? She knew there would be a good reason and she would have to talk to him about it later. Right now though her only concern was Sylvester and Kimberley's safety.

She needn't have worried.

By the time they all got back to the office, Pete Mullins was pinned face down on the floor with Kimberley's knee in his back. She had his right arm pulled tightly behind him and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't free himself.

Sylvester stood behind her. The minute Mullins had burst into the room he'd picked up the nearest heavy object – Walter's laptop – ready to hit the villain with it, but he hadn't needed to do anything at all. He'd just stood there in stunned silence as Kimberley had taken him down.

"Sly? What the hell?" Happy voiced everyone's amazement as they waited for an explanation.

Cabe ran forward and helped Kimberley restrain the man, quickly producing handcuffs from his pocket and snapping them around his wrists.

Sylvester put down the laptop and dragged Kimberley to her feet and into his warm embrace. "You… you were incredible," he said and he pressed a kiss into the hair on the top of her head.

"When you lovebirds have finished," began Toby as he walked over to check on Kaye who was still on the floor looking very dazed. "Would either of you like to tell us what happened here?"

"Kimberley," began Sylvester by way of explanation. "She… she… how did you…?"

Kimberley blushed hard. "I take classes," she explained. "Self-defence. Hey, when you spend half your life in a bathing suit you get… y'know… unwanted attention. Some assholes don't get that I'm out there working. So I need to be able to handle myself."

"You can sure handle yourself," replied Cabe with an approving nod.

Paige smiled broadly at her. "I think I want to come to your classes with you," she said and Kimberley laughed and nodded. Then Paige turned to Walter. "So I guess it's case closed?" she offered.

"Yes, indeed," agreed Walter. He swallowed hard just as two uniformed police officers arrived to help Cabe with the arrest. He stood back as Mullins was taken out of the room and let out a slow breath wishing, for once, that a Scorpion case could go smoothly. "Case closed."

xXxXxXxXx

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls!"

"Not now, Doc," Happy called out as her husband's voice filled the silence at the garage. "We're all exhausted."

"But I'm going to announce the winners of the inaugural Scorpion Awards," replied Toby, climbing onto a chair as he spoke. "Sponsored by Doctor Tobias M. Curtis."

Happy glanced at Cabe and they both rolled their eyes.

"No one's in the mood for your games, Toby," insisted Walter. "It's late, we all want to go home."

It was almost midnight now and the events of the evening had become a blur Walter's mind. The important thing was that Charlie Snyder's killer was in custody. Kaye was being kept in hospital overnight for observation, but other than that no one else had been hurt. Ralph was safe. Paige was safe. His family were all safe and Walter couldn't be more relieved.

"But you've won Ego of the Year, pal!" continued Toby. "Come and collect your award."

Walter just scowled at him.

"And of course the award for Wife of the Year goes to Happy, the light of my life and mother of my children," announced Toby. "You'll get your special prize later when we get home," he added with a wink.

Sylvester screwed up his nose. "Gross," he muttered under his breath.

"Where's my award, Doc?" asked Cabe.

"Oh, you mean the Lifetime Achievement award," grinned Toby. "That's what they always give to the old people, right?"

Allie leaned over to Cabe. "You kinda asked for that," she said with a smile.

Cabe laughed and shrugged. Then he kissed her. "You ready to go home?" he asked.

"Absolutely," she replied and they both got to their feet.

"And Kimberley wins the Dark Horse award," continued Toby with a grin. "For being awesome!"

"Of course she's awesome!" replied Sylvester and he proudly threw his arm around Kimberley, but she said nothing.

Toby's grin faded and he stepped off the chair and walked over the join them. "Hey," he said, gently. "It's been a long day, but it's over now. It's all over."

He watched as Kimberley nodded, clutching Sylvester's hand tightly as she did so. Her body language spoke a thousand words to him.

"I should take you home," said Sylvester. His mind was filled with the memories of kissing her. It had only been a few hours ago, but he longed to do it again. He didn't know if it would happen again tonight, but he knew it would happen soon.

"Yes, please," replied Kimberley in a quiet voice. "I just need to use the bathroom first."

Sylvester's face was etched with worry as she walked away. She'd been very withdrawn since they'd got back and he understood that they were all exhausted after everything that had happened at the gala, but she seemed particularly affected.

Toby slapped his arm affectionately. "She needs you tonight," he said. "Don't let her sleep alone."

"Huh?" replied Sylvester, his heartbeat increasing at Toby's words.

"I'm not talking about any funny business," Toby tried to explain. "She's been fighting hard to hold herself together since Charlie died, but now the whole thing's over she needs to release some of that grief and she shouldn't do that on her own."

"What… what do I need to do?" asked Sylvester.

"Just be there, let her talk," replied Toby. "Hold her, reassure her. It's perfectly normal, but it's not gonna be pretty. She's got you, now, though, so she'll be fine," he added with a smile.

"I… I… me?" replied Sylvester.

"Come on, pal," grinned Toby. "Falling in love with you these past couple weeks has been the only thing keeping her together."

"What? Falling in… what?"

Toby grinned. "And you feel the same. Can't hide it from me," he said. "You guys are great together."

From the comfort of the couch, Paige watched as everyone began leaving the garage. Ralph was asleep with his head on her lap and she tenderly stroked his hair. She couldn't believe that he was approaching his fifteenth birthday, it seemed like only yesterday that she'd brought her newborn son home from the hospital as a scared, young, soon-to-be single mom. It had been the beginning of so much hardship, but now they had a home and a family and Paige almost didn't dare to hope that it could be like this forever.

"You staying tonight?"

She looked up as Walter approached and smiled at him. "Sure. Looks like Ralph is out for the count already," she said, quietly.

"I'm… I'm sorry about what happened," said Walter. "I had a plan, but…"

"When do our plans ever work the way we expect?" asked Paige, laughing lightly.

"I honestly thought Sanders, or… or Sametti were involved in the murder," he explained.

"So did they," noted Paige dryly. "It just shows how important communication is in any kind of relationship," she noted with a wry smile.

"Agreed," nodded Walter. "Turns out Sametti was just paying Sanders to keep his mouth shut about dumping the chemical weapons and… and Sanders was trying to cover up the seaweed problem, or he would have had to have shut the beach and then his links with Sametti could have been exposed and his solid reputation would have been in tatters."

"So why did Kaye Snyder's boyfriend kill Charlie?" asked Paige. She had been struggling to piece it all together.

"He was doing research about the… the seaweed dying and found it wasn't actually dying any more, in fact it was experiencing prolific growth," replied Walter.

"Because of all the chemicals in the water," nodded Paige as she began to understand.

"And then he got in contact with Sanders about it behind Kaye's back," continued Walter. "It all had to do with that book Kaye released, the one that was panned by her peers. Mullins was trying to rescue her reputation, but… but he didn't like the fact that Charlie was poking his nose in. He was insanely jealous, so he confronted Charlie, but I… I guess things got heated and Mullins snapped."

"And strangled him," said Paige with a shudder. "Jealousy can do funny things to your head," she noted. For a moment she remembered how she had behaved a year ago when she thought Walter had been cheating on her – even though she knew he hadn't been cheating, just the thought of it had sent her crazy and she'd almost lost everything because of it.

Walter nodded. "I'll fetch a blanket," he said. "If you're OK with Ralph sleeping on the couch all night?"

"It won't be the first time," noted Paige.

Walter leaned over and kissed her tenderly. "Soon we'll have our own home," he reminded her.

Paige nodded. "This place will always be our home too," she reminded him. "It's Scorpion's home and Scorpion is our family, but I can't wait until we have our own little family home too, just you me and Ralph… plus whoever else we might be adding to our family," she added.

"Hmmm," agreed Walter and he kissed her again. "We should work on that some more… but not tonight. I… I don't think I…" he trailed off, blushing a little.

Paige giggled. "Don't worry, Walter," she said. "I definitely don't have the energy for anything more than snuggling and sleeping tonight."

Walter delicately brushed the side of her face with his fingertips. "That sounds perfect."

 _To be continued…_


	21. Chapter 21 - Sunshine and Sea Air

**-After the stressful events of the past few weeks, Paige organises another family picnic at the beach.-**

 ** _Sorry for keeping you all waiting so long! This is the final chapter of this story, but there will be a sequel - look out for the first chapter of Volume 2 very soon. Thank you so much to everyone who has followed this story, I appreciate every one of your reviews more than I can say. I really needed to write something for these characters that shows how their story continues because I still love this show and this family. I hope you enjoy the chapter, all reviews are very welcome._**

 **CHAPTER 21.**

"Ralph! Sunscreen!"

"Mom!"

Paige threw the bottle towards her son and it landed in the sand a few inches in front of him. Paige raised her eyebrows and he begrudgingly picked it up. Satisfied that he was about to apply another layer she returned to her original reclining position, with her head resting on Walter's chest.

She glanced over to the shoreline where Sylvester and Kimberley were standing hand in hand looking out to sea. It was the day after Charlie Snyder's funeral and Paige had decided today was the perfect day for another family picnic at the beach to cheer everyone up, especially Kimberley.

"Walter, have you seen Sly and Kim?" she said in a low voice.

Walter opened his eyes and Paige moved her head, allowing him to prop himself up on his elbows. He blinked a couple of times, realising that he had been on the verge of falling asleep.

"They're over there," he replied, with a puzzled expression and he pointed towards the sea.

"No, silly," said Paige with a giggle. "I know where they are, I just wondered if you'd _seen_ them. Holding hands, I mean. They're so cute together!"

"Well, um, yes," agreed Walter, not quite sure what response she was expecting. "They _are_ dating, after all. I know my experience is limited, but dating couples tend to hold hands, so I'm not sure they're doing anything particularly surprising?"

"Oh, Walter!" exclaimed Paige with a laugh. "Just agree with me that they look cute together!"

"They look cute together," repeated Walter, flatly.

"Ralph building sandcastles with Caitlin and Stella over there is cute," retorted Paige, pausing for a moment to imagine how Ralph might be with a baby brother, or sister and smiling to herself. "But Sly and Kimberley are _cute,_ " she continued eventually.

Walter's mouth twisted into a confused sneer. "That's the same word."

Paige pressed her lips together in defeat and pushed him back down onto the towel. She planted a kiss on his lips. "Is something bothering you?" she asked. "I mean, today you seem… I don't know, even more infuriating than usual. You disagreed with me about sandwich fillings this morning, argued with Toby about laying out the beach towels and now this."

"In… infuriating?"

Paige smiled warmly and kissed him again. "I'm not picking a fight, I'm not trying to be rude, I just… I just worry about you when you get like this. I know you have something on your mind and you're not sharing it with me and that… well, that makes me feel kinda… kinda nervous, I guess."

"I'm sorry." Walter closed his eyes and tried to focus on the feeling of the sun on his face. It was true he did have something on his mind and he knew he should be talking about it with Paige, but he wasn't sure how to put it into words so he'd decided to try to work through it on his own this time. Clearly that had been a mistake. "I'm sorry about the sandwich fillings," he continued, opening his eyes and turning his head to look into Paige's eyes. "I can't help feeling that I've let Kimberley down, that's all."

"What?" exclaimed Paige. "How have you let her down?"

"I promised I'd find Charlie's killer and bring him to justice."

"And you did."

" _We_ did," Walter corrected her. "But in the process I put everyone in danger… I put Ralph in danger… because I got it wrong. I pieced the puzzle together incorrectly. I can't apologise enough."

"OK, here's the thing, I _was_ kinda mad at you for a while," admitted Paige. "But that's just because of my overwhelming desire to protect my son. I don't think that'll ever change and I don't want it to - I'll still want to protect him when he's twenty-five years old and a foot taller than me – but I realise now that it wasn't your fault. You did everything you could to keep him safe and I should have trusted you. I guess if there's a lesson for you to learn from all this it's just that you need to remember to communicate with the team. You and I are getting so good at communicating, but now you need to apply everything you've learnt to them. You're already so much better at it than you were and there's less friction at the garage because of it."

"I thought I had all the answers."

"You always think that," noted Paige with a grin.

Walter nodded. "I assumed it would be easy and I did not anticipate the dangers. The whole process took far longer than I thought it would when I made my promise to Kimberley and it was… well, it wasn't easy. Not easy at all."

Paige smiled. "Kimberley didn't expect you to solve the case in a day," she said. "But _you_ did because you figured your IQ would lead you straight to the killer and now you're sulking because it didn't wind up being quite that simple and you took a few wrong turns along the way."

"Something like that… although I don't think I'm sulking… am I?"

"I guess not," she admitted with a laugh. "Maybe we'll call it being introspective. Anyway, the thing about murderers is they don't behave logically, just ask Toby."

She glanced across to where Toby and Happy were both fast asleep under the parasol and chuckled as she remembered how she was constantly exhausted with just the one toddler to take care of.

"He can probably explain it much better than me," she continued eventually. "Pete Mullins killed Charlie in the heat of the moment, because he was jealous of him getting back in contact with Kaye. It's not logical at all, it was all about uncontrollable emotion and you're still learning how people – how _normal_ people – react in those situations."

"I was convinced either Sanders, or Sametti, was the culprit," replied Walter. "Both of them had logical reasons for wanting Charlie out of the way and I wasted time pursuing that line of enquiry."

"Listen, Walter, don't beat yourself up over this," insisted Paige with a frown. "Neither of them were exactly innocent - you and that kid, Josh, almost died because they dumped chemicals in the ocean and now they're both facing lengthy jail sentences. The ocean has been cleaned up and we can all enjoy the beach again safely now. You did good, Walter."

Walter sighed. "We've successfully solved crimes before using our skills, but this was different somehow."

"All crimes are different, all _criminals_ are different," Paige explained. "I don't think you can apply the same kind of problem solving skills that you use for our regular cases."

"Hmmm," replied Walter, seemingly unconvinced.

"Look, why don't you talk to Kimberley about it?" suggested Paige. "I'm sure she'll tell you that she's grateful for everything you did to figure out who murdered her friend."

"I'll do that." Walter pushed himself up to a sitting position, but Paige put a firm hand on his chest.

"Not now!" she hissed. "She's kinda…" she paused, glancing over her shoulder and smiling at the sight of the newest Scorpion couple gazing lovingly into each other's eyes. "She's kinda busy right now."

At the water's edge, Sylvester could tell Paige was talking about them. You didn't need to have Toby's skill's to notice how often she glanced over and quickly looked away, but Sylvester had also noticed the smile on her face and he took comfort in that.

He'd taken Kimberley away from the rest of the group because it was obvious that she needed some quiet time. They'd mostly been standing in silence, looking out to sea and Sylvester hadn't felt this calm for a long time.

Calm.

 _She calms me…_

Sylvester hadn't had that particular thought in a long time and it sent a familiar sensation swirling through his body, one he'd started to wonder if he'd ever feel again. He squeezed Kimberley's hand tightly.

Yesterday's funeral had been tough for her and he'd done everything he could to support her. There had been a lot of tears last night, especially at the revelation that it had been her boss, Captain Sanders who had broken into her apartment looking for evidence about the seaweed. Now, with the sun shining and the waves gently lapping at their feet, things felt completely different.

"Maybe we should go back and join the others?" she suggested.

"We will… soon," replied Sylvester. "Right now I'm quite liking standing here in the ocean with you." They were only just _in_ the ocean, not even ankle deep, but it was enough for Sylvester.

"I thought you hated the water?"

"I do," agreed Sylvester. "But you love it and so I'm here, dipping my toes in… figuratively and literally… because I… because I enjoy spending time with you. Alone. Because I care about you. A lot. An awful lot, actually."

For a brief moment he'd almost said _'…because I love you_ ,' but he'd made the mistake of rushing into an unwarranted declaration of love once before and he wasn't about to make a fool of himself again. Not that this situation was anything like the last, but he'd learnt a lot about himself and about his feelings since then and he knew there was no need to say those three little words yet. It didn't mean the way he felt about Kimberley was any less real.

Kimberley's face lit up. "I care about you too, Sylvester," she replied. "And this… just being here at the beach with you like this… it's so special."

Sylvester's free hand slipped around her shoulders and he pulled her close. His light cotton shirt was open almost to the waist and as he pulled her in, her hand naturally came to rest on his bare chest.

"Is this OK?" she whispered. She was still learning about his reactions to touch and about her own desires and she didn't want to mess with either of their heads, but it had felt so natural to press her palm to his skin.

"It's fine," responded Sylvester with a warm smile. "I like it."

The way Kimberley had embraced all his anxieties - the fact that she didn't seem to find it at all awkward to ask him if he was OK with various things – was a huge reason for why he felt so comfortable around her.

 _Yes… she calms me…_

She asked, he answered and it was so simple. No panic, no regrets about doing, or _not_ doing something, or about saying, or not _saying_ something. Being with her felt so easy.

He leaned in to kiss her, but Kimberley pulled her head away. "Here?" she asked. "You know people can see us, right?"

"I know," replied Sylvester. "And I'm OK with that," he added with a confident grin.

"Oh, good, because I'm just fine with it too!" exclaimed Kimberley and she smashed her lips against his.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"What time is it?"

"Almost five, time for your nap, old man."

"You're the one who's been asleep half the afternoon, Doc," retorted Cabe with a scowl. "Pass those chips, will you?"

Toby obliged, handing him the half-empty bag and the jar of dip to go with them. "I don't think there's too much sand in it," he said with a wicked grin.

Cabe peered into the jar, turned his nose up in disgust and handed it to Paige.

"I think we know how that got in there," she said, rolling her eyes in Toby's direction.

The evening sun was glaring off the ocean and Paige had already started to pack away the picnic things, so she placed the lid on the jar and put it in the bag with everything else.

Happy was still dozing and Toby momentarily contemplated waking her, but immediately thought better of it. If it meant she had difficulty falling asleep in bed tonight, he could think of one or two things to do to occupy her and tire her out at the same time.

"Where did Sly and Kim go?" asked Cabe, looking up and down the beach.

"For another romantic walk," replied Toby. "Maybe I should offer the Sly Dog some hints and tips for tonight?" he suggested with a wink. "If I was still a betting man, I'd put a hefty wager on imminent bedroom action."

Paige frowned at him. "No, Toby, they're taking it slowly. They only met, like, three weeks ago. Sly is a gentleman and Kimberley is young and I don't think either of them need to ruin what they have by following any of your advice on… on bedroom action."

"Give the kids a break," added Cabe. "They'll get there when they're ready. Right now I figure the thought hasn't even crossed Sly's mind."

"Oh, it has," insisted Toby.

"They're happy, they don't need any more pressure," added Paige.

"Pressure? I object to the insinuation there, Paige," responded Toby, with mock indignation. Then his expression became more genuine. "I guess I haven't seen Sly this relaxed in a long time," he admitted.

"I'm just so happy for Sly," smiled Paige.

"Me too," agreed Allie, with a smile. "Now come on, Gallo, your nose is a little burnt. I think we've had enough sunshine and sea air for one day."

"Aloe and a little lavender oil," said Toby with a knowing nod and Allie smiled, grateful for the skincare advice.

Allie began gathering up her belongings. "Your girls must be exhausted, Toby," she said as she slipped her bare feet back into her sandals.

They all looked over to where Ralph and Walter were sitting with Stella and Caitlin, playing in the sand.

"I think they're probably a little overstimulated," said Paige. "Walter said something about demonstrating how sand dunes form," she added.

"Kinda young for a science lecture, aren't they?" noted Cabe with a frown, as he began buttoning his shirt.

"Never too young for science," replied Toby. "Besides, when Walt goes into lecture mode his voice modulates and young kids respond to the changes in tone and pitch."

Cabe got to his feet and held out his hand to help Allie. She took it gratefully and slung her bag over her shoulder as he pulled her up. Just then her phone rang and she took it from her bag. "Oh," she exclaimed, staring at the number on the screen. "It's the foster agency."

"Well answer it then!" exclaimed Paige, frustrated by her hesitation.

Allie put the phone to her ear. "Hello?" she began in a nervous voice. "Yes, speaking. Yes… yes, that's right." She turned and walked away from the others to continue her conversation.

Paige and Toby looked over at Cabe who had frozen to the spot. "You OK, Cabe?" asked Toby with concern.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure," he replied nonchalantly. "Just… y'know, surprised to hear from them already. They said it would take a couple week at least to process everything. Unless… unless they're turning us down?"

"They'd be fools to turn you guys down!" exclaimed Paige, but Cabe just shrugged.

Paige exchanged a glance with Toby. She knew Cabe could be right, there was always the possibility that the fostering agency could consider their combined age as good reason to decide they were unsuitable to be foster parents, not to mention Cabe's dangerous occupation, but Toby and Sylvester had written strong supporting statements for their application and the initial response had been good.

They all waited silently for a minute or two until Allie returned. Her expression was unreadable to everyone except Toby.

"Good news, huh?" he offered.

Allie nodded and finally a smile appeared. "Yes," she agreed. She swallowed hard before continuing. "The application is still being processed," she explained. "But there's a girl, she's thirteen years old. Her mother is scheduled for major back surgery next month and she won't be able to take care of her for four to six weeks afterwards. The agency have put our names forward, assuming the paperwork all goes through in time. The lady I was speaking to thinks we'd be a perfect."

Cabe slipped his arm around her shoulders. "You happy?" he asked, his huge smile negating the need to ask him the same question.

"Oh, Cabe," she replied, as her smile broadened. "Yes!"

"Congratulations!" exclaimed Paige and she flung her arms around both of them at once.

The noise woke Happy and she sat up, momentarily confused. "What the hell…?"

"Cabe and Allie are going to experience the joys of parenthood, darlin'," Toby explained, dropping to his knees beside his wife.

"Allie's… pregnant?" Happy responded, rubbing her eyes. "Oh, wait, you mean the fostering thing don't you."

Cabe chuckled. "Fostering," he confirmed. "I think you'd better get your good lady wife home, Doc," he added.

"I gotta pee first," said Happy and she walked off towards the bathroom block.

"Well we have a lot to organise now... this is really happening," said Allie, as the reality of the news started to sink in. "Thank you for arranging the picnic, Paige. It's been a lovely afternoon."

They went over to say goodbye to Walter, Ralph and the twins before heading for home.

Paige's eyes were drawn again to Walter and her son playing with Stella and Caitlin. Caitlin appeared to be captivated by Walter's demonstration of how sand slipped through his fingers. Stella, on the other hand, was digging a hole with a plastic spade as Ralph did his best to stop her sending too much sand flying into the air.

"Getting a little glimpse of the future?" asked Toby. "You could wind up with twins too, y'know. I'll ask Sly to calculate the odds."

Paige shuddered. "I think one set of Scorpion twins is enough, don't you?" she replied.

Then her face fell. She turned away, but it was too late of course, Toby had already noticed.

"Hey," he said in a low voice. "What's wrong?"

Paige considered her answer for a moment. This afternoon at the beach, surrounded by her whole family, had been idyllic and yet Paige had been wrestling with her thoughts for the last couple of hours.

"Trying not to build my hopes up, I guess," she replied, eventually. "It's just that things have a habit of not going to plan for us. I keep having these flashes of how our future might be – all blissful and joyous, I mean – but what if it doesn't happen like that after all? Walter and I have all these ideas and plans now, but you can't really plan everything, can you. I've wanted this life with Walter – and Ralph - for so long, but now I guess a part of me is scared… I guess because of what happened last year… and I can't push those feelings away, Toby."

Toby drew a slow breath. "You know what I'm going to say, don't you?"

A small, knowing smile danced at the corners of Paige's lips. "Talk to Walter about it?" she offered.

"Exactly!" replied Toby. "It makes sense to have a discussion about it, to have an idea about how you'll deal with, say, not getting pregnant straight away, or whatever else is on your mind. Hap and I never had that discussion, we just assumed because I'm so _damn_ good in bed that we'd get pregnant just like that and when we didn't… well, the reality hit us hard because we weren't prepared."

"And now look at you," smiled Paige. "Two kids already, Toby and another one on the way!"

"I know! How did that happen?" he smirked. "Anyway, I'm not saying that you'll have the same problems we had – I suspect One Ninety Seven's spermatozoa are just waiting for the right moment to impress your ovum with their IQ…"

"Toby! Even I know how scientifically inaccurate that is, not to mention... weird and gross."

"OK, fair point," agreed Toby. "Talk to Walter. And then have lots of sex."

Paige felt her cheeks flush red and Toby's grin grew wider. "Just help me fold this picnic blanket will you?" she asked.

They'd almost cleared everything away by the time Sylvester and Kimberley returned.

"Lovebirds are back!" Toby called out.

"What did we say earlier about giving them a break?" hissed Paige, but Toby just winked at her.

"Sorry we didn't hang out with you guys much," said Sylvester.

"No need to apologise," replied Paige. "As long as you had a good time, that's all that matters."

Sylvester and Kimberley exchanged smiles. "Yes, we did, thank you," Kimberley said.

"I'm glad to hear it," said Walter. Then he turned to Happy. He had Caitlin in his arms, she was half asleep with her head resting on his shoulder. "Your daughter is a quick learner," he said. "You should continue with her studies when you get home, she appears to have an aptitude for particle mechanics."

"Walt, she's a baby and she likes playing with sand," retorted Happy. "Now I'm not saying she's not smart and I'm all for starting 'em early, but I think I'll hold her next lesson over until the morning. Look at her, she's pooped."

"She does that a lot," grinned Toby, pinching his nose. "And it's not nice!"

Happy glared at him. "You know what I meant!" she retorted. Then she turned back to Walter. "Hey, O'Brien, thanks for keeping her entertained for so long. She really likes you." She smiled as she peeled her daughter from his arms. "You might just make a good dad after all, assuming you and the waitress can figure out the baby making thing."

Paige glanced at Toby, wondering for a moment if he'd told Happy about their earlier conversation, but Toby shook his head and Paige realised it was just a throwaway comment.

"We'll figure it out," she replied, smiling coyly at Walter. "But with Cabe and Allie preparing to welcome a teenage foster daughter and you guys having a baby in a couple months, maybe spreading out the new arrivals wouldn't be such a bad thing?"

Toby nodded approvingly, glad to see her notably less tense while discussing the future. "C'mon beautiful wife and beautiful daughters," he said. "Bathtime awaits!"

"We're going too," said Sylvester as Toby and Happy left, each carrying an exhausted toddler in one arm and a bag of baby paraphernalia in the other. "Kimberley and I have plans for a quiet evening in front of the TV."

"Thank you, Paige, for today," smiled Kimberley. "It means so much to me that you… that all of you…" she stopped, choking back tears and Sylvester pulled her into a hug.

"She means thank you for welcoming her into our family," he said, gently stroking her hair as he spoke and realising, for the first time since they solved the case, how they might never have met if Charlie Snyder had not been murdered. Suddenly their relationship seemed even more important to him than it had already.

"It's our pleasure," Paige responded. "Enjoy your evening." She slipped her hand into Walter's as Sylvester and Kimberley left, aware somehow that she had just witnessed an important moment in the evolution of Team Scorpion.

"I'll take some of this stuff to the car," offered Ralph and he gathered up the rug and one of the parasols in his arms.

"Thank you, honey," replied Paige. It was obvious that he was making an excuse to leave her and Walter alone for a few minutes and she couldn't have been more proud. "We'll be with you in five... or ten," she added.

Walter held her hand tightly as Ralph headed off towards the car. Neither of them said a word for a few minutes. Eventually it was Walter who broke the silence.

"When I set up Scorpion," he began. "I wanted to… to create a place for people like me, for geniuses, for people who were different. Somewhere we could belong, somewhere we could learn from each other, somewhere we could use our abilities for the greater good."

Paige nodded slowly. "And you did that, Walter," she replied, not entirely sure where this train of thought had sprung from.

"I did," agreed Walter. "But I created so much more than I could ever have dreamed of, Paige. Toby and Happy and the twins and their new baby... you and me and Ralph…" he paused as he tried to take it all in. "Cabe and Allie... and Sylvester… first he had Megan and now he has Kimberley. I created a home, I created a family. I don't quite know how to process that, Paige, but… but it feels good."

"It should do, Walter. You've built something wonderful here."

"But I've never known anything like this," he continued, shrugging her away as his mind continued to race. "Except maybe with Megan, but that was all because of her and who she was. I look around me now, Paige and… and everyone has a future… there's all this… love… and I don't just mean you and me, it's everywhere and… and…"

Paige pressed her finger to his lips. "Ssshhh…" she soothed. He was becoming overwhelmed and she knew she needed to slow down his thought processes. "Sometimes I wonder if you understand just how important you are to all of us and how much we all love you because it's so far away from the way you perceive yourself and your achievements… your _emotional_ achievements, if that makes sense."

"Do… do the others really feel that way?"

"You don't always give yourself enough credit for changing all of our lives for the better," she smiled. "You claim the credit for everything else," she added with a smirk.

Walter nodded slowly and smiled. Their ever expanding family was one giant leap further than he could ever have envisaged when he'd first connected with Happy, Toby and Sylvester, but now he couldn't imagine his life any other way.

He wrapped his arms around Paige and held her close. "We've achieved so much this year," he whispered, not quite able to believe it himself.

"We have and we have so much more to look forward to," agreed Paige. "I love you, Walter O'Brien."

Walter pressed his lips against hers. "And I love you… more than I can comprehend."

"You don't have to comprehend it, Walter, you just have to _feel_ it."

"Oh, I feel it, Paige. I feel it every moment of every day."

THE END.

 **...but the story isn't over! Volume 2 of this series will follow shortly, I hope you all decide to come along with me for another ride. I enjoy playing with these characters so much I can't let them go!**


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